- Date
- June 13, 2000, 06:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Quincy, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7451KPiper PA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000613011919A
- Case key
- 49422
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The fracture and failure of the main landing gear strut to shock absorber attachment fitting.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During takeoff roll the left main landing gear collapsed as the airplane accelerated through about 40 miles per hour. The left wingtip dropped to the ground and the aircraft ground looped. Examination revealed that the landing gear shock absorber end fitting had broken and separated where it attached to the gear strut.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 2000, at 0600 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-20, N7451K, was substantially damaged when the aircraft ground looped during takeoff at Gansner Field, Quincy, California. The airline transport certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight destination is unknown.
The pilot reported that, during takeoff roll on runway 24, the left main landing gear collapsed as the airplane accelerated through about 40 miles per hour. The left wingtip then dropped to the ground and the aircraft ground looped to the left. According to the pilot, the landing gear shock absorber end fitting had broken and separated where it attached to the gear strut.
The surface wind was reported calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7451K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 362
- Airframe hours
- 4,951
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard J. Corbitt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 2000 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- 2O1
- Destination
- Unknown
- Airport
- 2O1 · Gansner Field, runway 24, 4,100 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,500 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CIC, 43 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.