- Date
- July 20, 1985, 09:57 local (13:57 UTC)
- Place
- Stowe, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5777DPiper PA-18-95
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850720065379A
- Case key
- 35924
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 cruise flt, the plt heard a loud knocking coming from the eng and a decrease in oil pressure. During the landing in a fld, the landing gear collapsed and the acft ground looped. Examination of the eng disclosed that the hydraulic lifters of three of the four cylinders had failed. The corresponding intake and exhaust valves were not opening properly during eng operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5777D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-95
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5279
- Airframe hours
- 2,450
- Engine
- Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leonard R. Dubois
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 1985 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- Swanton, VT
- Destination
- MPV · Montpelier, VT
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 196 total · 110 in this make and model · 106 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N5777D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.