- Date
- May 12, 2024, 10:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Emmett, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3915PPiper PA-22-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- 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
- 20240512005499A
- Case key
- 194246
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 loss of directional control during landing roll due to a loose tailwheel leaf spring assembly.
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 flight instructor reported that the wind was calm when the pilot receiving instruction performed a 3-point landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane. During the landing roll, the tailwheel began to shimmy. The pilot was able to raise the tail momentarily in an attempt to stop the shimmy before it settled back onto the runway. The tailwheel continued to shimmy, and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder and brake input. The airplane began to correct to the right towards the runway centerline, however, the right turn continued to accelerate, despite the pilot and flight instructor’s left rudder inputs. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground. Post accident examination of the airplane determined that the tailwheel leaf spring assembly was loose. Corrosion was observed on the left main landing gear attach points. It is likely the loose tailwheel spring assembly was preexisting and caused the tailwheel shimmy and contributed to the loss of directional control and the subsequent landing gear failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3915P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3585
- Built
- 1956
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MAN · Nampa, ID
- Destination
- S78 · Emmett, ID
- Airport
- S78 · Emmett Municipal Airport, runway 10, 3,307 × 55 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,398 total · 7 in this make and model · 8,331 as pilot in command · 78 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 216 total · 11 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KMUO, 56 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMUO 121556Z AUTO 29011KT 6SM HZ CLR 22/06 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP112 T02170064 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.