- Date
- July 7, 2007, 09:58 local (13:58 UTC)
- Place
- State College, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1576APiper PA-20-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Harrisburg FSDO EA-13
- FAA report
- 20070707014539A
- Case key
- 66188
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 of the airplane.
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 applied light braking during the landing roll prior to performing a 180-degree turn. When he applied braking the aircraft ground looped to the left, collapsing the left gear and striking the left wing on the runway. The propeller struck the runway while the engine was under power and that he was not injured.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated to an FAA inspector that the landing was normal and during the landing roll-out while on the runway, he applied light braking to make a 180-degree turn. The airplane ground looped to the left causing the left main landing gear to collapse and the left wing to contact the runway.
According to FAA personnel who examined the airplane, the main spar of the left wing was bent upward. A repair estimated provided by a mechanic who performed a visual inspection of the airplane indicated the left wing needed to be replaced. Pictures provided to NTSB by the mechanic showed wrinkling of the fabric on the upper surface of the left wing. The wrinkling was located at a 45-degree angle between 3 ribs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1576A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-790
- Airframe hours
- 2,440
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert Nelson Hines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 01PN · Bellefonte, PA
- Destination
- UNV · State College, PA
- Airport
- UNV · University Park, runway 24, 6,701 × 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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 1,201 total · 150 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KUNV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.