- Date
- July 17, 1995, 19:35 local (Jul 18, 1995, 01:35 UTC)
- Place
- Ogden, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6953KPiper PA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950717024669A
- Case key
- 42195
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-in-command's failure to maintain directional control. Hte loose tailwheel assembly bolt was a factor.
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 he heard a strange noise and felt a vibration during the landing roll. He thought that it might be a flat main landing gear tire as he was having to input more left rudder control to maintain runway centerline. As the airplane slowed, the CFI was unable to maintain directional control as the nose veered to the right and the airplane ground looped. During the post crash inspection, the tailwheel pivot bolt was found to be loose. Review of the aircraft logbooks indicate that it had been 19 months since the last annual inspection.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 1995, at 1935 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-20, N6953K, ground looped after landing at the Ogden Airport, Ogden, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the flight instructor and student pilot were not injured.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the flight instructor stated that this was his first flight with this student pilot who was preparing to take the private pilot check ride. The student pilot was at the controls for takeoff and the flight stayed in the pattern to practice touch-and-go landings. During the first approach, the flight instructor stated that he took control of the airplane on final approach to demonstrate a procedure to the student. After a three point touchdown, the flight instructor noticed a strange noise and felt a vibration that he couldn't pin down. The flight instructor thought that it may be a flat main landing gear as he was having to input more left rudder control to maintain runway centerline. As the airplane slowed to 10 to 15 knots, the flight instructor stated that he was unable to maintain directional control as the nose of the airplane veered to the right and the airplane ground looped.
A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector from the Salt Lake City, Utah, Flight Standards District Office, inspected the airplane and found that the tailwheel pivot bolt was loose, which resulted in the tailwheel shimmy during the landing roll.
The airframe and engine logbooks indicate that the last annual inspection was performed on 12/16/93. The logbooks list several major repairs and alterations since 12/7/93.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6953K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-043
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hyman E. Harrelson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 16, 1993
- Airport
- OGD · Ogden-Hinkley, runway 34, 5,352 × 150 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
- 59
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,775 total · 15 in this make and model · 4,624 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OGD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.