- Date
- April 14, 2021, 18:30 local (Apr 15, 2021, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pullman, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N3023MPiper PA22
- Defining event
- Taxi-into takeoff position: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210414003689A
- Case key
- 102923
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 taxiing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, he had completed touch-and-go landings and had planned to make a full-stop taxi back to the departure end of the runway. While taxiing, the left wing was lifted by a gust of wind and the right wing contacted the ground. The pilot closed the throttle, applied full left rudder, full back pressure on the elevator and tapped the brakes. Despite his actions, the propeller struck the ground and the airplane nosed over. Both wing struts were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3023M
- Reported as
- Piper PA22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1827
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Pullman, WA
- Destination
- Pullman, WA
- Airport
- PUW · Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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 sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,625 total · 14 in this make and model · 2,625 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 60 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KPUW, 2 nm away
- METAR
- KPUW 160153Z AUTO 11011KT 10SM CLR 16/M03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP204 T01561033
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.