- Date
- September 5, 2009, 12:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bozeman, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1544APiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090905016389A
- Case key
- 74672
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 failure of the pilot receiving instruction to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll and the flight instructor's delayed corrective action.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor said he was giving the certificated private pilot some training in tail wheel aircraft. He told the pilot that the rudder pedals were very sensitive. The pilot taxied onto the runway, lined up on the centerline, and applied power for takeoff. The takeoff roll was normal until the tail wheel lifted off and the nose turned left. The flight instructor said the pilot overcorrected to the right and then back to the left. The flight instructor then got on the controls with the pilot, and, as the aircraft turned right a second time, the turn progressed into a ground loop. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and the left wing was bent up.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor said he was giving the certificated private pilot some training in tail wheel aircraft. He told the pilot that the rudder pedals were very sensitive. The pilot taxied onto the runway, lined up on the centerline, and applied power for takeoff. The takeoff roll was normal until the tail wheel lifted off and the nose turned left. The flight instructor said the pilot overcorrected to the right and then back to the left. The flight instructor then got on the controls with the pilot, and, as the aircraft turned right a second time, the turn progressed into a ground loop. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and the left wing was bent up.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1544A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-740
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-290 SERIES, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hutchinson Darrold K
- Registered owner
- Hutchinson Darrold K
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2009
- Departed
- BZN · Bozeman, MT
- Destination
- HVR · Havre, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- BZN · Gallatin Field Airport, runway 12, 9,003 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,464 total · 50 in this make and model · 8,337 as pilot in command · 101 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 90 total · 1 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- BZN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 982 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.