- Date
- September 22, 2023, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Eatonville, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7955HPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Takeoff: 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
- 20230922014809A
- Case key
- 193152
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 takeoff roll, in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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 reported that while taking off in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, he experienced a wind gust that lifted the left wing upwards and caused the right wing to contact the runway. Subsequently, he lost directional control of the airplane, resulting in a ground loop and impact with a berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7955H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-858
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,108.45
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 49WA · Yelm, WA
- Airport
- 2W3 · Swanson Airport, runway 34, 2,990 × 36 ft
- Equipment
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 18, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 266.3 total · 23.3 in this make and model · 212.8 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KPLU, 14 nm away
- METAR
- KPLU 222255Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/06 A2992 RMK AO2
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 N7955H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.