- Date
- March 4, 2006, 09:35 local (13:35 UTC)
- Place
- SanJuan, PR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2875DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060304005739A
- Case key
- 63423
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 landing.
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 stated that after landing at the appropriate airspeed without the banner on runway 9, she applied appropriate airplane control corrections to maintain the airplane on the runway centerline, but immediately after touchdown a strong gust caused the airplane to ground loop to the right. She said that she applied control corrections to counteract the wind, but the airplane did not respond. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing incurred damage. The pilot said that there were no pre-accident anomalies with the airplane or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 2006, about 0930 Atlantic standard time, a Piper, PA-18, N2875D, registered to and operated by Aerial Sign of Puerto Rico, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 banner towing flight, ground looped during landing at Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. the commercial-rated pilot was not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the same day, about 0910.
The pilot stated that after landing at the appropriate airspeed without the banner on runway 9, she applied appropriate airplane control corrections to maintain the airplane on the runway centerline, but immediately after touchdown a strong gust caused the airplane to ground loop to the right. She said that she applied control corrections to counteract the wind, but the airplane did not respond. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing incurred damage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane or any of its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2875D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-1931
- Airframe hours
- 4,004
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming O-360-C1G, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aerial Sign of Puerto Rico
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 1, 2005 · 81 hours before
- Departed
- TJIG · SanJuan, PR
- Destination
- TJIG
- Airport
- runway 09, 5,217 × 100 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 405 total · 88 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 79 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU
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 N2875D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.