Piper PA-22/20 N1139C

Summary

On 10 October 2007 at about 16:50 local time, a Piper PA-22/20 registered N1139C was involved in an accident near Townsend, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 October 2007 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Townsend, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Townsend (8U8)

Coordinates

46.4810, -111.3391

Aircraft

Piper PA-22/20

Registration

N1139C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Canyon Ferry → Townsend

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08CA009

Nobody was injured.

The private pilot/student failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll, and remedial action was not possible by the flight instructor which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that the purpose of the flight was for the private pilot/owner to receive instruction for the tailwheel endorsement. After practicing several successful takeoffs and landings, the flight instructor had the private pilot set-up for a full stop wheel landing to runway 16, which had a six knot, 45 degree crosswind. While in ground effect, the private pilot reduced the throttle too fast, which increased the sink rate and the aircraft touched down firmly on the mains. The private pilot arrested the bounce with forward pressure before the aircraft lifted off, and applied some power to maintain directional control. The aircraft then began to make an excursion from the runway centerline and the private pilot lowered the tail which made the aircraft unstable. The flight instructor then assisted the private pilot and stabilized the aircraft. The private pilot then indicated that he could handle the situation, and the flight instructor returned control back to the private pilot. The flight instructor stated that he may have returned control back to the private pilot too quickly, as the situation degraded to large excursion from centerline, and the aircraft diverted from normal track. The flight instructor was not able to regain directional control and the aircraft ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing and elevator contacted the ground and were structurally damaged.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.