No fatalities

19 Sep 2015: PIPER PA 20 — Marshfield, MA

Marshfield, MA, United States

On 19 Sep 2015, a PIPER PA 20 was involved in an aviation accident near Marshfield, MA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and impact with terrain. 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 airplane ground looped after a hard landing and bounce, sustaining substantial damage to the wing, elevator, horizontal stabilizer, and fuselage.

Approach and Landing

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during final approach, he recognized being above the normal glide path and executed a forward slip to lose altitude. Following the slip, the airplane's approach airspeed was higher than normal. The pilot intended to perform a wheel landing.

Touchdown and Bounce

Upon touchdown, the airplane landed hard and bounced twice. After the bounce, the pilot changed his plan to a three-point landing. At touchdown, the airplane fishtailed and began to veer to the left.

Loss of Control

The pilot was unable to correct the veer with control inputs, and the airplane continued off the runway to the left, resulting in a ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, elevator, horizontal stabilizer, and fuselage.

Mechanical Status

The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained