No fatalities

17 Jun 2018: Piper PA 20 — East Sound, WA

East Sound, WA, United States

On 17 Jun 2018, a Piper PA 20 was involved in an aviation accident near East Sound, WA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control in a gusting, left quartering headwind. 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 bounced during a sideslip landing, veered right, and ground looped, sustaining substantial left wing damage. Wind was gusting to 12 knots.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during a left wing low (sideslip) landing and before touchdown, he leveled the wings, and the airplane bounced. He then increased the throttle slightly and adjusted the pitch to cushion the subsequent bounce, but the airplane veered right, exited the runway to the right, and ground looped.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 310° at 6 knots, gusting 12 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation