- Date
- May 23, 1998, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4101EPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980523015429A
- Case key
- 30099
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. A factor was the gusty wind.
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 airport AWOS was reporting winds from 140 degrees at 7 to 10 knots and recommended that runway 3 be used for landing. The pilot chose to land on runway 21 into the wind. On the landing rollout the aircraft was struck by a gust of wind and subsequently ground looped.
Factual narrative
On May 23, 1998, at 1215 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N4101E, ground looped after landing at the Sedona, Arizona, airport. The aircraft, operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from the Chandler, Arizona, airport the day of the accident and was scheduled to terminate at Sedona.
The pilot stated that he received weather from Sedona's Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) which was reporting winds from 140 degrees at 7 to 10 knots, and recommended usage of runway 3. He reported that he chose to land into the wind on runway 21. The pilot stated that after landing the aircraft was struck by a gust of wind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4101E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 78-09068
- Airframe hours
- 7,563
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Chandler Air Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 22, 1998 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- CHD · Chandler, AZ
- Destination
- SEZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SEZ · Sedona, runway 21, 5,132 × 75 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 129 total · 23 in this make and model · 57 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLG, 20 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 N4101E · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.