- Date
- January 27, 2001, 11:11 local (19:11 UTC)
- Place
- Camarillo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9411DPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20010127000839A
- Case key
- 51400
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during takeoff.
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
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice touch-and-go landings at another nearby airport. The airplane had been converted from tricycle to conventional landing gear and the pilot had received a tailwheel aircraft logbook endorsement. The pilot applied about 1/2 of the engine power and intended to perform a "slow takeoff." The runway was 6,010 feet long and 150 feet wide. During the early part of the takeoff roll, when the pilot applied forward pressure on the controls to lift the tail from the runway, the aircraft started to veer to the left. He corrected with right rudder and the airplane entered a skid to the right and ground looped. The airplane came to rest off the right-hand edge of the runway with damage to the left wing, left horizontal stabilizer, and left landing gear. The surface wind was a right, quartering tailwind at 3 knots.
Factual narrative
On January 27, 2001, at 1111 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-22, N9411D, was substantially damaged when the aircraft ground looped during takeoff at Camarillo, California. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The local area personal flight was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice touch-and-go landings at another nearby airport. The airplane had been converted from tricycle to conventional landing gear and the pilot had received a tailwheel aircraft logbook endorsement. The pilot applied about 1/2 of the engine power and intended to perform a "slow takeoff." Runway 26 is 6,010 feet long and 150 feet wide. During the early part of the takeoff roll, when the pilot applied forward pressure on the controls to lift the tail from the runway, the aircraft started to veer to the left. He corrected with right rudder and the airplane entered a skid to the right and ground looped. The airplane came to rest off the right-hand edge of the runway with damage to the left wing, left horizontal stabilizer, and left landing gear. The surface wind was from 020 degrees at 3 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9411D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6385
- Airframe hours
- 3,343
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard A. Sweet
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 2000 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Destination
- OXR · Oxnard, CA
- Airport
- CMA · Camarillo, runway 26, 6,010 × 150 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 31 in this make and model · 49 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- CMA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9411D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.