N91003

Substantial
None

Piper PA-18-150 S/N: 18-8109059

Accident Details

Date
Monday, August 21, 2000
NTSB Number
LAX00LA309
Location
SCOTTSDALE, AZ
Event ID
20001212X21780
Coordinates
33.529567, -111.890281
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

Failure of the pilot to maintain directional control on the landing rollout. Also causal to the accident was his failure to retract flaps during the aborted landing attempt, which lead to a loss of lift and a hard landing followed by a ground loop.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N91003
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
18-8109059
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1981
Model / ICAO
PA-18-150 PA18
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
KELSEY TERRY D
Address
PO BOX 60
Status
Deregistered
City
GUTHRIE
State / Zip Code
TX 79236-0060
Country
United States

Analysis

On August 21, 2000, at 1200 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N91003, veered off runway 21 and ground looped during the landing rollout at the Scottsdale Airport, Scottsdale, Arizona. The airplane, operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that had departed the Glendale Municipal Airport, Glendale, Arizona, at 1140. The flight was scheduled to terminate at Scottsdale. No flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported he made a three-point landing with full flaps selected. On the landing rollout the right wing was lifted by the wind and the right landing gear lifted off the ground. The conventional geared airplane veered to the left. He leveled the wings, which put the right landing gear back on the runway. He attempted to regain runway heading with the rudder. He ". . . felt a ground loop coming on." He applied full power to fly out of the ground loop. While attempting to avoid a taxi light and regain runway heading, he failed to retract the flaps. The pilot stated that due to the low airspeed and the maneuver to avoid obstructions the airplane lost lift and sank. The airplane landed hard and ground looped. The pilot noted no mechanical malfunctions with the rudder or brake system.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX00LA309