Piper PA-20 N1544A

Summary

On 5 September 2009 at about 18:15 local time, a Piper PA-20 registered N1544A, operated by Hutchinson Darrold K, was involved in an accident near Bozeman, 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

5 September 2009 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bozeman, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Gallatin Field Airport (BZN)

Coordinates

45.7775, -111.1519

Aircraft

Piper PA-20

Registration

N1544A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hutchinson Darrold K

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bozeman → Havre

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09CA435

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the pilot receiving instruction to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll and the flight instructor's delayed corrective action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor said he was giving the certificated private pilot some training in tail wheel aircraft. He told the pilot that the rudder pedals were very sensitive. The pilot taxied onto the runway, lined up on the centerline, and applied power for takeoff. The takeoff roll was normal until the tail wheel lifted off and the nose turned left. The flight instructor said the pilot overcorrected to the right and then back to the left. The flight instructor then got on the controls with the pilot, and, as the aircraft turned right a second time, the turn progressed into a ground loop. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and the left wing was bent up.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.