Piper PA-17 N4814H accident near Millbrook, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was landing the vintage, tailwheel-equipped airplane. As he touched down on the paved runway that had slight downhill, the pilot described that he “tapped” the brakes, and the right brake “grabbed a little harder than the left.” The pilot attempted to correct with rudder but the airplane ground looped after the right main landing gear separated from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest in the grass area next to the runway. During the accident sequence, the left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident did not observe any abnormalities of the airplane’s brakes. Based on the lack of any anomalous findings during the postaccident examination of the brakes, it is likely that the pilot lost directional control of the tailwheel-equipped during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA23LA343 for the full record.