Piper PA 18-150 N3997Z

Summary

On 21 July 2014 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N3997Z was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, 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

21 July 2014 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT)

Coordinates

34.6506, -111.7861

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N3997Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14CA342

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in variable wind conditions, resulting in a ground-loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing the tail-wheel equipped airplane in variable wind conditions, and subsequently touched down with a quartering tailwind. The airplane veered off the runway to the right, ground-looped, and came to rest back on the runway. During the excursion, the airplane impacted a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the ground-loop. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.