- Date
- September 21, 2013, 09:49 local (16:49 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6313CPiper PA28 - 161
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 88145
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 of the airplane during the landing roll.
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 after landing the airplane pulled to the left, which he was not able to immediately recover from. The airplane continued to the left and impacted a taxiway sign with the right wing, substantially damaging the wing spar. After applying right rudder he was able to get the airplane tracking in the right direction, but the right main landing gear collapsed just after hitting the sign, which resulted in the airplane ground-looping to the right. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after landing the airplane pulled to the left, which he was not able to immediately recover from. The airplane continued to the left and impacted a taxiway sign with the right wing, substantially damaging the wing spar. After applying right rudder he was able to get the airplane tracking in the right direction, but the right main landing gear collapsed just after hitting the sign, which resulted in the airplane ground-looping to the right. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6313C
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 - 161 (161)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L-18785-39A
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 7,542
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- William B Leslie
- Registered owner
- Shouling & Philip Enterprise
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 2013 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- WJF · Lancaster, CA
- Destination
- IYK · Inyokern, CA
- Airport
- WJF · General Willam J Fox Airfield, runway 24, 7,201 × 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 19 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- WJF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.