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Atlas / NTSB / CHI00LA150

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CHI00LA150

2000-06-03 SALEM, Indiana, United States Airport · I83 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

the inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and the failure of the pilot to maintain directional control. A factor to the accident was the crosswind condition.

Factual narrative

On June 3, 2000, at 1320 eastern standard time (EST), a Piper PA-22-150, N1686P, owned and operated by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when the left main gear collapsed during a ground loop while landing on runway 10 (2,738 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at the Salem Municipal Airport (I83), near Salem, Indiana. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating under a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and the passenger reported no injuries. The local flight originated at I83 at approximately 1250 EST. At 30 minutes prior to the accident, the Louisville International Airport, Louisville, Kentucky, located 32 nautical miles on a 135 degree bearing from I83, reported weather as: winds from 030 degrees at 5 knots; visibility of 10 statute miles; few clouds at 4,500 feet; temperature of 22 degrees C; dew point of 12 degrees C; altimeter 30.18. The pilot reported the winds at the time of the accident to be from the north at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. In a written statement, the pilot reported, "lost aircraft on crosswind landing and ground looped." The pilot reported the winds as out of the north at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots as he was attempting to land on runway 10. A weather station reported winds 30 minutes prior to the accident as 030 degrees at 5 knots. The left main landing gear collapsed and then the aircraft ground looped. In a written statement, the pilot said, 'lost aircraft on crosswind landing and ground looped.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2000_CHI00LA150.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.