- Date
- August 14, 2013, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Aurora, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6939KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130814015769A
- Case key
- 87783
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 while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a ground-loop.
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 during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the right, which caused the airplane to weathervane to the right. He said that due to the airplane's slow speed, left rudder was ineffective, and by the time he applied left brake the airplane had ground-looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the right, which caused the airplane to weathervane to the right. He said that due to the airplane's slow speed, left rudder was ineffective, and by the time he applied left brake the airplane had ground-looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6939K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-43
- Built
- 1950
- Airframe hours
- 3,750
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Csizmazia Joseph
- Registered owner
- Csizmazia Joseph
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 21, 2012
- Departed
- 4S2 · Hood River, OR
- Destination
- UAO · Aurora, OR
- Airport
- UAO · Aurora State, runway 17, 5,004 × 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
- 82
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 13, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,125 total · 2,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.
Other investigations on N6939K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.