- Date
- July 21, 2014, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3997ZPiper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140721013039A
- Case key
- 89863
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 in variable wind conditions, resulting 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 was landing the tail-wheel equipped airplane in variable wind conditions, and subsequently touched down with a quartering tailwind. The airplane veered off the runway to the right, ground-looped, and came to rest back on the runway. During the excursion, the airplane impacted a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the ground-loop. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing the tail-wheel equipped airplane in variable wind conditions, and subsequently touched down with a quartering tailwind. The airplane veered off the runway to the right, ground-looped, and came to rest back on the runway. During the excursion, the airplane impacted a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the ground-loop. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3997Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7946
- Built
- 1963
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 2013
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley, runway 07L, 4,499 × 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 21, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 10 in this make and model · 1,460 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 14, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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 N3997Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.