- Date
- December 8, 2013, 13:31 local (21:31 UTC)
- Place
- San Carlos, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6913Piper PA 16
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20131208025119A
- Case key
- 88535
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 during the landing roll.
Findings · 2
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 the landing, in a tailwheel equipped airplane, was uneventful. During the landing roll, he lost control of the airplane which ground looped to the right. The left wing and elevator impacted the ground and both sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the landing, in a tailwheel equipped airplane, was uneventful. During the landing roll, he lost control of the airplane which ground looped to the right. The left wing and elevator impacted the ground and both sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6913
- Reported as
- Piper PA 16 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16-642
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 2,727
- Engine
- Lycoming O235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cooper Steven
- Registered owner
- Cooper Steven
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2013 · 47 hours before
- Departed
- LVK · Livermore, CA
- Destination
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Airport
- SQL · San Carlos Airport, runway 12, 2,600 × 75 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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 169 in this make and model · 131 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- SQL
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 330 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.