On July 25, 1998, a Piper PA-22-135 (registration N1202C) was involved in an aviation accident near Rock Springs, WY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control due to a gust of wind, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent damage to the landing gear, wing, and propeller. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A gust of wind caused the pilot to lose directional control during landing, resulting in a ground loop that collapsed the left main gear and damaged the wing and propeller.
What happened
The pilot reported that a sudden gust of wind caught the aircraft while on the ground. This unexpected force made it impossible for the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane. As a result, the aircraft began to ground loop.
During this uncontrolled turn, the left main landing gear collapsed under the stress. The left wing then struck the ground, which caused damage to the wingtip. Additionally, the propeller sustained damage from striking the ground during the incident.
In the weather section of his accident report, the pilot indicated that the wind was calm at the time.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control due to a gust of wind, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent damage to the landing gear, wing, and propeller.