Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Townsend Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Townsend, Montana 59644
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 10:50 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor stated that the purpose of the flight was for the private pilot/owner to receive instruction for the tailwheel endorsement. After practicing several successful takeoffs and landings, the flight instructor had the private pilot set-up for a full stop wheel landing to runway 16, which had a six knot, 45 degree crosswind. While in ground effect, the private pilot reduced the throttle too fast, which increased the sink rate and the aircraft touched down firmly on the mains. The private pilot arrested the bounce with forward pressure before the aircraft lifted off, and applied some power to maintain directional control. The aircraft then began to make an excursion from the runway centerline and the private pilot lowered the tail which made the aircraft unstable. The flight instructor then assisted the private pilot and stabilized the aircraft. The private pilot then indicated that he could handle the situation, and the flight instructor returned control back to the private pilot. The flight instructor stated that he may have returned control back to the private pilot too quickly, as the situation degraded to large excursion from centerline, and the aircraft diverted from normal track. The flight instructor was not able to regain directional control and the aircraft ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing and elevator contacted the ground and were structurally damaged.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The private pilot/student failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll, and remedial action was not possible by the flight instructor which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/10/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1050 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Townsend |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59644 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 491900N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1112800W |
| Event Location Airport | Townsend |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 8U8 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3893 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22647 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Flight Instructor |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2007 6:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1139C |
| NTSB Number | SEA08CA009 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-22/20 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 22-975 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Douglas S. Cairns |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bozeman |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 8U9 |
| Departure City | Canyon Ferry |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 8U8 |
| Destination City | Townsend |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 2 2007 5:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |