- Date
- July 8, 1995, 15:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Meriden, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7608HPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950708017559A
- Case key
- 38992
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 adequately compensate for wind conditions. Contributing factors were wind gusts, crosswinds, and the pilot's lack of experience in type.
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 had received dual instruction, and was endorsed for solo flight [tailwheel] in this airplane just prior to the accident. According to the pilot, on his second solo landing runway 18, a gust of wind caused a ground loop to the right, and the airplane departed the runway. The left main landing gear bogged down in soft sand causing the wing to strike the ground. The winds were from the southwest, at 10 to 12 knots, and gusts to 15 knots. The visibility was 7 miles, the temperature 90 degrees, and the runway was dry. The pilot had 5.7 hours in this make and model airplane, which was accured during the last 90 days.
Factual narrative
On July 8, 1995, about 1515 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-12, N7608H, collided with the ground during the landing roll at the Meriden/Markham Airport (MMK), Meriden, Connecticut. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The local personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot had received dual instruction, and was endorsed for solo flight [tailwheel] in this airplane just prior to the accident. The pilot stated that on his second solo landing, "a gust of wind...[caused] a ground loop to the right, and the airplane departed the runway. The left main landing gear "bogged down in soft sand" causing the wing to strike the ground.
At the time of the accident the pilot reported that the winds were from the southwest, at 10 to 12 knots, and gusts to 15 knots. The visibility was 7 miles, the temperature 90 degrees, and the runway was dry.
The pilot indicated on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that he had a total of 88.1 flight hours, with 5.7 hours in this make and model airplane. The 5.7 flight hours in this make and model airplane were in the last 90 days.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7608H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-483
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Meriden Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MMK
- Airport
- MMK · Meridan/Markham, runway 18, 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 88 total · 6 in this make and model · 31 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 205° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.