Piper PA-22-135 N1270C

Summary

On 18 June 2006 at about 21:30 local time, a Piper PA-22-135 registered N1270C was involved in an accident near Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 2006 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States

Nearest airport

Nebraska City Muni (AFK)

Coordinates

40.6072, -95.8656

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-135

Registration

N1270C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plattsmouth → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI06CA159

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout and the resulting ground loop. A contributing factor was the excessive tail wheel steering (rudder) input by the pilot.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged when the pilot lost directional control during the landing rollout. The airplane subsequently ground looped causing the left wing to contact the ground and the left main landing gear to collapse. The pilot reported that he flew a "normal downwind to final" with a "very good touchdown followed by the start of a smooth rollout." He stated that the tail wheel began to "wobble (chatter)" and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. He added engine power as the airplane reached the edge of the runway and applied rudder correction to return to the runway centerline. The pilot stated, "Too much right rudder started the ground loop which finished with the airplane having turned 180 [degrees]." When the airplane came to rest, the "left wing was down in the dirt with the left main folded under the airplane," according to the pilot. He noted no malfunctions with the airplane. He also commented that more patience with the tail wheel "chatter" may have prevented the over controlling which led to the ground loop.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.