- Date
- May 25, 2011, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Yakima, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8712DPiper PA-22-160
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Spokane FSDO
- Case key
- 79215
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 upon landing.
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 stated that he was returning to land when, upon touchdown, a gust of wind lifted his left wing. Despite his control inputs the airplane ground-looped. At the time of the accident, the wind at the accident airport was reported to be from 240 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he was returning to land from a student cross country flight. Upon touchdown, he reported that a gust of wind lifted his left wing; despite the pilot's control inputs, the airplane ground looped. At the time of the accident, the accident airport reported winds from 240 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8712D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-5893
- Airframe hours
- 3,062
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hagedorn J., Matthew
- Registered owner
- Hagedorn J., Matthew
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 8, 2010 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- KRDM · Redmond, OR
- Destination
- KYKM · Yakima, WA
- Airport
- KYKM · Yakima/McCallister Field, runway 27, 7,604 × 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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Student, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 34 in this make and model · 156 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KYKM
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 590 KB in all.