- Date
- August 15, 1997, 07:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Eloy, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9957JCessna 188
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970815022709A
- Case key
- 29876
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 improper recovery from a bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control due to inadequate rudder use.
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 said he had been out practicing steep turns, banks, and stalls prior to conducting five to six low approaches over the runway. On his first landing attempt he set the aircraft up at 75 mph with flaps 20 degrees, and touched down just past the runway numbers. The pilot said the airplane bounced back in the air so he lowered the nose. He stated the aircraft stalled and contacted the runway. He was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft with the rudder and the airplane veered to the right. The pilot said he applied left rudder and brakes and the airplane skidded into an 180-degree turn. The main landing gear sheered off during the skidding turn.
Factual narrative
On August 15, 1997, at 0700 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 188, N9957J, ground looped during a landing attempt at Eloy, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated at Eloy just prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
An Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector said the pilot told him he had been out practicing steep turns, banks, and stalls prior to conducting five to six low approaches over the runway. On his first landing attempt he said he set the aircraft up at 75 mph, flaps 20 degrees, and touched down just past the runway numbers. The pilot said the airplane bounced back in the air so he lowered the nose. He stated the aircraft stalled and contacted the runway. He was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft with the rudder and the airplane veered to the right. The pilot said he applied left rudder and brakes and the airplane skidded into an 180-degree turn. The main landing gear sheered off during the skidding turn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9957J
- Reported as
- Cessna 188
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18803886T
- Airframe hours
- 5,041
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520T, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Terry Hamilton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 1997 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- E60 · AZ
- Airport
- E60 · Eloy Municipal, runway 2, 3,900 × 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 640 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS, 53 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 N9957J · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.