- Date
- October 24, 1999, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Orange, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7118HPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 47652
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 a sudden wind shift.
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 tailwheel-equipped airplane made an uneventful approach. Upon touchdown, the wind shifted about 50 degrees, and pushed the tail to the left. The airplane then ground-looped to the right, and departed the runway. The active runway was changed to the opposite direction immediately after the accident.
Factual narrative
On October 24, 1999, about 1015 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-12, N7118H, was substantially damaged during landing at Orange Municipal Airport (ORE), Orange, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot was uninjured, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight, between Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9), Mansfield, Massachusetts, and Orange. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that the approach to Runway 19 was uneventful. The windsock was indicating about 8 knots, from about 250 degrees magnetic. Then, upon touchdown, the wind shifted to about 300 degrees magnetic, "and pushed my tail hard left into a ground loop. I could not straight[en] out the aircraft and looped right - onto grass where my left wing tip impacted the ground...."
The pilot also reported that the active runway was changed to Runway 32 immediately after his landing.
Winds at the airport 23 minutes prior to the accident, were recorded as being from 220 degrees magnetic, at 6 knots. Winds the airport 37 minutes after the accident, were recorded as being from 230 degrees magnetic, at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7118H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-715
- Airframe hours
- 682
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Arsenault
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 1999 · 72 hours before
- Departed
- 1B9 · Mansfield, MA
- Destination
- ORE
- Airport
- ORE · Orange Municipal Airport, runway 19, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 355 total · 53 in this make and model · 355 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORE