- Date
- July 1, 2001, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lewistown, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3251ZPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010701015699I
- Case key
- 52687
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
Pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft while landing.
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 reported that shortly after departure the airplane settled back on to the runway. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane back into the air; however, the airplane again began to settle back toward the runway and the pilot aborted the takeoff. He reported that when the aircraft touched down, it veered to the right. The pilot stated that when he applied brakes, the airplane "spun around" and the left main gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest in a wheat field adjacent the departure runway.
Factual narrative
On July 1, 2001, about 1230 Mountain daylight time, a tail wheel-equipped Piper PA-22, N3251Z, sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff from Lewistown Municipal Airport, Lewistown, Montana. The airplane is registered to the pilot and was being operated as a personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot, and the one passenger aboard the airplane were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight.
The pilot submitted a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board dated July 9, and reported that shortly after departure the airplane settled back on to the runway. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane back into the air; however, the airplane again began to settle back toward the runway and the pilot aborted the takeoff. He reported that when the aircraft touched down, it veered to the right of runway centerline. The pilot stated that when he applied brakes, the airplane "spun around" and the left main gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest in a wheat field adjacent to the departure runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3251Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7199
- Airframe hours
- 1,981
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Garniss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 2001
- Departed
- LWT · Lewistown, MT
- Destination
- LWT · Lewistown, MT
- Airport
- LWT · Lewistown Muni, runway 25, 6,100 × 100 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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 325 total · 17 in this make and model · 237 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 17 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- lwt
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 N3251Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.