Piper PA-22-108 N5934Z

Summary

On 4 September 2011 at about 23:08 local time, a Piper PA-22-108 registered N5934Z, operated by Ensz Weston L, was involved in an accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, United States. One person was 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

4 September 2011 at 23:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Monte Vista, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Monte Vista Municipal (MVI)

Coordinates

37.5289, -106.0406

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-108

Registration

N5934Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ensz Weston L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monte Vista → Monte Vista

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11CA677

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's loss of control while landing, which resulted in a ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot stated that he thought that a gust of wind caught the tailwheel-equipped airplane just before touchdown, resulting in the right main landing gear wheel hitting the runway hard, which drove the wheel hub up into the strut. The airplane ground looped and nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. After the accident, the pilot stated that, if he had recognized the wind gust sooner, he could have initiated a go-around. He also reported that, if he had known that the wheel hub broke during touchdown, he would have increased the throttle to keep the front of the airplane elevated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.