On 9 Jun 2019, a Piper PA22 150 was involved in an aviation accident near Riverside, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to the maintain the runway heading during landing with a crosswind, which resulted in impact with runway lighting and a subsequent ground loop during the landing roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A tailwheel-equipped airplane struck a runway light and ground looped during landing on a grass runway after encountering a strong crosswind. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical issues.
Incident Overview
A pilot flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported encountering a strong crosswind during landing on a grass runway. The wind pushed the aircraft to the left side of the strip. As the pilot continued the landing roll, he observed small grass mounds that were higher than the surrounding mowed grass. These mounds turned out to be runway lights. The airplane subsequently struck one of the runway lights and ground looped to the right.
Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation.
Weather Conditions
An automated weather observation station located 3 miles south of the accident site recorded wind conditions approximately 38 minutes after the event. The wind was from 270 degrees at 15 knots. The airplane was landing on runway 24.
Contributing factors
Heading/course — Not attained/maintainedDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation