- Date
- May 2, 2022, 07:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ · KIAW
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3390APiper PA22/135
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220502006189A
- Case key
- 105025
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 the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during an instructional flight practicing landings to a full stop, the airplane veered left, directional control was lost and the left wing and left elevator were substantially damaged when they contacted the runway surface during a ground loop. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3390A
- Reported as
- Piper PA22/135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1661
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 2,543
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2021
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- IAW · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- IWA · Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, runway 12L, 9,300 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 8, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 57.7 total · 4 in this make and model · 12.7 as pilot in command · 4.1 in the last 90 days · 1.4 in the last 30 days · 1.4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KIWA, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KIWA 021445Z 13008KT 10SM CLR 22/M01 A2990 RMK ACFT MSHP
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2022, 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.