On July 2, 1998, a Piper PA-20-160 (registration N8933D) was involved in an aviation accident near Kemmerer, WY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, resulting in a ground loop. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in a conventional landing gear type of airplane. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported that after landing in light and variable winds, the airplane fishtailed and ground looped. The pilot had 9 hours in the make and model.
Accident Details
The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane touched down on runway 34. During the rollout, the aircraft began fishtailing and ground looped. According to the pilot's account, after touchdown the tail veered to the left. The pilot applied left rudder input. Subsequently, the tail swerved to the right, and the pilot applied full right rudder and brake, at which point directional control was lost.
Pilot Comments
The pilot stated that he 'let the airplane get ahead' of him. He indicated that the wind was calm and described the winds as light and variable at the time of landing. The pilot reported having 9 hours of experience in the airplane make and model.