- Date
- April 15, 2021, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cottonwood, AZ · On Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3551ZPiper PA-22-160
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- FAA report
- 20210415005339A
- Case key
- 102924
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 landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
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 of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, while adjusting the flap handle, he briefly stepped on the right rudder and the airplane veered to the right. While attempting to correct with left rudder input, the airplane continued to veer to the right, exited the runway, ground looped to the right and collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3551Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7462
- Airframe hours
- 3,400
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 2020
- Departed
- 1L4 · Calnevar, NV
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- P52 · Cottonwood, runway 14/32, 4,252 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,050 total · 400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KPRC, 20 nm away
- METAR
- KPRC 150753Z AUTO 17011KT 10SM CLR 11/M09 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP068 T01111089
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.