- Date
- January 21, 2005, 11:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1535APiper PA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050121000499A
- Case key
- 60907
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 the landing roll. Wind gusts and the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions were factors.
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 during the three point landing on runway 11, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind from the left side which raised the left wing and moved the aircraft to the right. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control by applying corrections with rudder, aileron and braking action. The aircraft exited the runway surface where the right main landing gear collapsed when the aircraft traveled over the soft surface. The right wing contacted the runway surface, damaging the wing spar. The current surface observation was reporting a wind from 50 degrees at seven knots. Visibility was 10 miles and clear.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 2005, about 1115 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-20, N1535A, registered to and flown by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, ground looped the aircraft during the landing roll and collapsed the right main landing gear. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The aircraft was substantially damaged, and the private pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured.
The pilot reported that during the three point landing on runway 11, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind from the left side which raised the left wing and moved the aircraft to the right. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control by applying corrections with rudder, aileron and braking action. The aircraft exited the runway surface where the right main landing gear collapsed when the aircraft traveled over the soft surface. The right wing contacted the runway surface, damaging the wing spar.
At 1056, the Lewiston surface observation was reporting a wind from 50 degrees at seven knots. Visibility was 10 miles and clear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1535A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-731
- Airframe hours
- 3,107
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Coy R. Getman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 14, 2004 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- LWS · Lewiston, ID
- Airport
- LWS · Lewiston-Nez Perce Co., runway 11, 5,001 × 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 17, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,250 total · 875 in this make and model · 2,250 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- LWS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.