South Woodstock, CT, USA
N7342D
Piper PA-22/20-150
A private pilot landed his tail wheel configured airplane on the runway. The airplane subsequently drifted left into a snowbank, and nosed over. The private pilot reported the right main wheel hydroplaned on the runway, while the left wheel grabbed and the airplane turned left. A pilot rated passenger reported he did not remember feeling a deceleration like braking. He thought the airplane slowly drifted left and contacted the snow bank on the side. The private pilot also reported that the runway which was 75 feet wide had only been plowed to a width of about 50 feet.
On March 8, 2003, about 1300 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-22/20-150, N7342D, was substantially damaged while landing at Woodstock Airport, South Woodstock, Connecticut. The private pilot/owner and pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot reported that his airplane was originally delivered as a PA-22-150, with tricycle landing gear. It was subsequently modified to a tailwheel configuration and was designated a PA-22/20-150. The private pilot had been performing takeoffs and landings, and the accident occurred at the completion of the last landing, as the airplane was rolling on the runway with the tailwheel on the ground. He further reported: "Landing 01 to north, a 3 point landing. Starting rollout went through some water from melted snow, and the right wheel seemed to hydroplane, not grabbing as much as the left one. Went to the left a little and go into some snow that pulled us to the left." When interviewed, the private pilot reported that the runway, which was about 75 feet wide, had not been plowed to full width. The private pilot estimated the width of the plowed area as 50 feet. The pilot rated passenger reported that he did not remember feeling a deceleration consistent with the application of brakes. He said that due to the tail wheel configuration of the airplane, he could not see over the nose of the airplane to the left side, and was not aware of the proximity of the airplane to the snow bank on the left side of the runway. However, he believed the airplane gradually drifted left and contacted a snow bank on the left side of the runway. He added that the airplane only deviated about 10 degrees from runway heading. The airplane tilted about 5 degrees to the right when it contact the snow bank and then tilted the other way after it had passed over the snow bank. The airplane was going about 8 miles per hours when it nosed over.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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