N2343M – Piper PA-12 – 2007-02-23 NTSB Accident Report

On February 23, 2007, a Piper PA-12 (N2343M) was involved in an incident near Lewiston, ID. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The inadvertent use of the rudder by the passenger, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop.

According to the pilot, at the request of the aircraft's owner, he was flying with the passenger to help him become current as he had not flown any type of aircraft in the last 8 years. He was making a no-flap 3-point full stall landing with the passenger on the controls with him. During the landing roll, as the airplane slowed down, the pilot let some pressure off the rudder pedals to slide his toes up onto the brakes. As soon as the pressure was released from the rudder pedals, the airplane started to swerve "one way then the other." The pilot attempted to correct, but the airplane "spun a 180 degree turn to the left." The left wing tip and the right elevator struck the ground.

This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA07CA065. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2343M.