- Date
- July 5, 2010, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dillon, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6110APiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Helena FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100705036149A
- Case key
- 76552
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 landing.
Findings · 1
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 during approach for runway 22 he observed the winds to be a quartering headwind from the right. After a normal approach the airplane touched down on the main landing gear. As the tail wheel was about to touch down the airplane veered to the right. The pilot used left rudder and brake to compensate for the turn, but the airplane exited the right side of the runway. Through the use of left rudder and brake the pilot was able to stop the right turn, but then the airplane turned to the left and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar and right elevator.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 2010, about 1300 Mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N6110A, was substantially damaged during a ground loop during landing at Dillon Airport, Dillon, Montana. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the State of Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as a public use flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and it is unknown if a flight plan was filed. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he entered a normal traffic pattern for runway 22 and observed the winds to be a right quartering headwind. After a normal approach, the airplane touched down on the main landing gear. As the tail wheel was about to touch down the airplane veered to the right. The pilot used left rudder and brake to compensate for the turn, but the airplane exited the right side of the runway. Through the use of left rudder and brake the pilot was able to stop the right turn, but then the airplane turned to the left and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar and right elevator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6110A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8009050
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - state · Public use
- Operator
- State of Montana
- Registered owner
- State of Montana
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- DLN · Dillon, MT
- Destination
- DLN · Dillon, MT
- Airport
- KDLN · Dillon, runway 22, 3,599 × 60 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 11,600 total · 850 in this make and model · 11,400 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KDLN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 620 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.