- Date
- March 21, 2009, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jackson, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3920ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090321003229A
- Case key
- 73538
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.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after landing on Runway 19, a crosswind caused the airplane to drift to the right. He applied left rudder to realign the aircraft with the runway centerline. The left turn accelerated into a ground loop. Subsequently the right main landing gear failed, the right wing tip contacted the runway, and the right wing spar was bent. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after landing on runway 19, a crosswind caused the airplane to drift to the right. He applied left rudder to realign the aircraft with the runway centerline. The left turn accelerated into a ground loop. Subsequently the right main landing gear failed, the right wing tip contacted the runway, and the right wing spar was bent. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3920Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7744
- Airframe hours
- 3,880
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Derek J. Craighead
- Registered owner
- Derek J. Craighead
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 28, 2008
- Departed
- JAC · Jackson, WY
- Destination
- JAC · Jackson, WY
- Airport
- JAC · Jackson Hole Airport, runway 19, 6,300 × 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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 1,280 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JAC
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 N3920Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.