- Date
- October 27, 2010, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pahrump, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7807DPiper PA-22-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20101027048739A
- Case key
- 77689
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 inadvertent activation of brakes upon touchdown, resulting in a loss of directional control.
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 pilot reported that he had recently purchased the airplane and was practicing full stall [stop?] landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. During his sixth landing of the day, he decided to try a wheel landing. As the airplane touched down, it was responding erratically and pulled to the left toward the runway edge lights. The pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full throttle; however, the airplane exited the runway edge and the left main landing gear struck sage brush. The airplane subsequently ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that examination of the runway revealed a long curved skid mark from the left main landing gear, as if he were touching the brake. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had recently purchased the airplane and was practicing full stall landings in the tail wheel equipped airplane. During his sixth landing of the day, he decided to try a wheel landing. The pilot said that as the airplane touched down, the airplane acted "kind of squirrelly" and pulled to the left towards the runway edge lights. The pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full throttle; however, the airplane exited the runway edge and the left main landing gear struck sage brush. The airplane subsequently ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that examination of the runway revealed a long curved skid mark from the left main landing gear "as if I [the pilot] may have been touching the brake." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the airplane's flight control and brake systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7807D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-5451
- Airframe hours
- 2,456
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 20, 2010 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- NV74 · Pahrump, NV
- Destination
- NV74 · Pahrump, NV
- Airport
- NV74 · Calvada Meadows Airport, runway 15, 5,200 × 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 200 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- DRA, 21 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 328 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.