- Date
- September 4, 2012, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4798ZPiper PA-22-108
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Part(s) separation from AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120904018879A
- Case key
- 84950
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 inadequate postmaintenance and preflight inspections, which resulted in the separation of the left main wheel after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the improperly secured left main wheel spindle nut.
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
After departure from an uncontrolled airport, ground personnel advised the pilot that they saw the left main wheel and tire fall off the airplane. The pilot decided to continue flight to a nearby controlled airport, where, after flying around to decrease the amount of fuel on the airplane, he landed. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and tipped onto its nose, which substantially damaged the right wing spar. The pilot reported that he observed no anomalies when he examined the main wheel bearings for the correct spindle nut tension 2 days before the accident. However, he believes that the left wheel spindle nut cotter pin was inadvertently omitted or not installed correctly when he reinstalled the wheel on the airplane. He said that a more thorough inspection of the wheel bearing service work should have been performed, and that a more thorough preflight inspection could have caught the problem.
Factual narrative
After departure from an uncontrolled airport, the pilot was advised by personnel at the airport that they saw the left main wheel and tire fall off the airplane. The pilot decided to continue to the accident airport. After flying around to decrease the amount of fuel on the airplane, he landed using runway 30. The airplane pulled to the right until it departed the right side of the runway and tipped onto its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that he examined the main wheel bearings 2 days prior to the accident for the correct spindle nut tension. He believes that the left wheel spindle nut cotter pin was inadvertently omitted or not installed correctly during the wheel reinstallation on the airplane. He said that a more thorough inspection of the wheel bearing service work should have been performed, and that a more thorough pre-flight inspection could have caught the problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4798Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-8365
- Airframe hours
- 4,512
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Reetz Duane W
- Registered owner
- Reetz Duane W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2012 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- GIC · Grangeville, ID
- Destination
- 3U2 · Yellow Pine, ID
- Airport
- LWS · Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airp, runway 30, 5,002 × 100 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 888 total · 504 in this make and model · 853 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- LWS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 4, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB 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.