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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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August 3, 1994 · Piper PA-25 · N6568Z

Spiritwood, ND

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 3, 1994
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Spiritwood, ND
Aircraft
Piper PA-25
Tail Number
N6568Z
Operator
Ag Air
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CHI94LA272

Upon landing on the private airstrip, the airplane started to shudder and veered to the left. The pilot tried to regain directional control by applying the right brake and increasing power, but the pilot states these actions only accelerated the turn. The airplane ground looped and came to rest on the left side of the runway. A postaccident investigation revealed eight inches of the vertical fuselage tubing and the aft diagonal tubing in the empennage near the tailwheel assembly were broken in several locations. Rust was observed on the inside of the tubing wall near the breaks.

NTSB Probable Cause

the failure of the fuselage tubing in the empennage.

Full Narrative

On August 3, 1994, at 1530 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25 agricultural airplane, N6568Z, was substantially damaged when the pilot lost directional control during the landing roll at a private airstrip in Spiritwood, North Dakota. The pilot, who was not injured, had just returned from an aerial survey of a field. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without flight plan. In a written statement, the pilot reported the airplane started to shudder and veered to the left upon landing on the private airstrip. He tried to regain directional control by applying the right brake and increasing power, but he states these actions only accelerated the turn. The airplane ground looped and came to rest on the left side of the runway. A postaccident investigation revealed eight inches of the vertical fuselage tube and the aft diagonal tube in the empennage near the tailwheel assembly were broken in several locations. Rust was observed on the inside of the tubing wall near the breaks.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time15:30 CDT
Nearest AirportPrivate Airstrip (0nm)
Runway36
Runway Length2640 ft
Runway Width65 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA-25
Tail NumberN6568Z
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorAg Air
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-540-B2B5 · Reciprocating · 235
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 31 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind345° @ 2 kt
Visibility15 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point64 F / 0 C
Altimeter0
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data