- Date
- December 1, 1991, 15:55 local (23:55 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3170ZPiper PA22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911201053959A
- Case key
- 27512
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout.
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 his airplane had been modified by the installation of a tail wheel assembly. According to the pilot, he landed on runway 12 and during rollout lost directional control. Thereafter, the airplane ground looped. At the time the wind was from 120 degrees at 5 knots. During the post-accident examination of the airplane no evidence was found of any mechanical malfunctions. The pilot reported having 600 hours of tail dragger flight time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3170Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7122
- Airframe hours
- 2,707
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Ham
- Registered owner
- James Ham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 1991 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- BFL · Bakersfield, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto, runway 12, 2,500 × 65 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,162 total · 45 in this make and model · 1,048 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAO, 1 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.
Other investigations on N3170Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.