- Date
- May 27, 2001, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clinton, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3341APiper PA-22-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010527016769A
- Case key
- 52374
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 rollout. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's lack of experience in tail-wheeled airplanes, and the wind gusts.
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
During landing rollout, a gust of wind lifted the right wing upward, swerving the airplane to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the situation, but not before the airplane "ground looped." During the ground loop, the landing gear collapsed, causing the right wing to impact the runway and sustain damage. The pilot reported 5 hours of flight experience in tail-wheel airplanes. The winds reported at a nearby airport were from 210 degrees at 13 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 27, 2001, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22-135, N3341A, was substantially damaged while landing at the Washington Executive Airport/Hyde Field, Clinton, Maryland. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, about 400 feet into his landing rollout on runway 23, a gust of wind lifted the right wing upward, swerving the airplane to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the situation, but not before the airplane "ground looped." During the ground loop, the landing gear collapsed, causing the right wing to impact the runway and sustain damage.
Runway 23 was a 3,000-foot-long, 60- foot-wide asphalt runway.
The pilot reported 5 hours of total flight experience in tail-wheel airplanes.
The wind reported at a nearby airport, at 1555, was from 210 degrees at 13 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3341A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1507
- Airframe hours
- 3,267
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Judge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 2000 · 999 hours before
- Departed
- 2W5 · Indian Head, MD
- Destination
- W32 · Clinton, MD
- Airport
- W32 · Washington Exec/Hyde Field Apt, runway 23, 3,000 × 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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 270 total · 5 in this make and model · 214 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- ADW, 5 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 N3341A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.