No fatalities

24 Apr 2010: PIPER PA-22-135 — Vincent Peter Cianfichi, Jr. — Hoensdale, PA

Hoensdale, PA, United States

On 24 Apr 2010, a PIPER PA-22-135 operated by Vincent Peter Cianfichi, Jr. was involved in an aviation accident near Hoensdale, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper final approach, resulting in a bounced landing and ground loop. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in tailwheel airplanes. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced a ground loop after a bounced landing, causing substantial damage to the left wing spar and left elevator.

Accident Sequence

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing, the touchdown resulted in a bounce followed by a smaller bounce. Subsequently, the airplane began veering left and departed the runway surface. The pilot applied right rudder and added power in an attempt to correct the veer, but the tail swung out to the left. The pilot then reduced power as the airplane entered a ground loop. The aircraft came to rest facing south, having turned 180 degrees from its original direction.

Aircraft Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar and the left elevator. No other damage details were provided in the pilot's account.

Pilot Experience

The pilot reported having a total of 5 hours of flight experience in the specific make and model of the accident airplane. The pilot further stated that the accident could have been prevented by acquiring more landing experience in this type of airplane prior to solo flight and before operating on a hard surface.

Contributing factors

Pilot