- Date
- October 10, 2007, 10:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Townsend, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1139CPiper PA-22/20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20071010022229A
- Case key
- 66881
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 private pilot/student failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll, and remedial action was not possible by the flight instructor which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop.
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 flight instructor stated that the purpose of the flight was for the private pilot/owner to receive instruction for the tailwheel endorsement. After practicing several successful takeoffs and landings, the flight instructor had the private pilot set-up for a full stop wheel landing to runway 16, which had a six knot, 45 degree crosswind. While in ground effect, the private pilot reduced the throttle too fast, which increased the sink rate and the aircraft touched down firmly on the mains. The private pilot arrested the bounce with forward pressure before the aircraft lifted off, and applied some power to maintain directional control. The aircraft then began to make an excursion from the runway centerline and the private pilot lowered the tail which made the aircraft unstable. The flight instructor then assisted the private pilot and stabilized the aircraft. The private pilot then indicated that he could handle the situation, and the flight instructor returned control back to the private pilot. The flight instructor stated that he may have returned control back to the private pilot too quickly, as the situation degraded to large excursion from centerline, and the aircraft diverted from normal track. The flight instructor was not able to regain directional control and the aircraft ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing and elevator contacted the ground and were structurally damaged.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor stated that the purpose of the flight was for the private pilot/owner to receive instruction for the tailwheel endorsement. After practicing several successful takeoffs and landings, the flight instructor had the private pilot set-up for a full stop wheel landing to runway 16, which had a six knot, 45 degree crosswind. While in ground effect, the private pilot reduced the throttle too fast, which increased the sink rate and the aircraft touched down firmly on the mains. The private pilot arrested the bounce with forward pressure before the aircraft lifted off, and applied some power to maintain directional control. The aircraft then began to make an excursion from the runway centerline and the private pilot lowered the tail which made the aircraft unstable. The flight instructor then assisted the private pilot and stabilized the aircraft. The private pilot then indicated that he could handle the situation, and the flight instructor returned control back to the private pilot. The flight instructor stated that he may have returned control back to the private pilot too quickly, as the situation degraded to large excursion from centerline, and the aircraft diverted from normal track. The flight instructor was not able to regain directional control and the aircraft ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing and elevator contacted the ground and were structurally damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1139C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22/20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-975
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Douglas S. Cairns
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 8U9 · Canyon Ferry, MT
- Destination
- 8U8 · Townsend, MT
- Airport
- 8U8 · Townsend, runway 16, 4,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 0
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 5,942 total · 10 in this make and model · 121 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.