CHI06LA100

Factual narrative

On March 25, 2006, at 1220 central standard time, a Piper PA-20, N1579A, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged while landing on runway 16 (4,001 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at the South St. Paul Municipal Airport (SGS), South St. Paul, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The flight departed Faribault Municipal Airport (FBL), Faribault, Minnesota, at 1130. The pilot reported that he had been practicing full-stop landings and that all of his previous landings that day had been "uneventful." The pilot stated that the airplane touched-down in a "three-point stance tracking down the runway." After touchdown, the pilot reportedly had the flight control yoke "pulled all the way back", engine power "all the way off", and he was braking "evenly to bring the airplane to a stop." During landing roll the airplane "veered to the left without warning." The right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane departed off the left side of the runway. The pilot noted having 19.6 hours in tailwheel airplanes, which included 12.6 hours in the same make/model as the accident airplane. The wind conditions at the time of the accident were from 360 degrees magnetic at 4 knots. The tailwheel airplane veered off the left side of runway 16 during the landing roll. The pilot reported that he had been practicing full-stop landings, and that all of his previous landings that day had been uneventful. The pilot stated that the airplane touched-down in a three-point stance and was tracking down the runway. After touchdown, the pilot reported he had the flight control yoke pulled all the way back, engine power all the way off, and he was braking evenly to bring the airplane to a stop. During landing roll the pilot related the airplane veered to the left without warning. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane departed off the left side of the runway. The pilot noted having 19.6 hours in tailwheel airplanes, which included 12.6 hours in the same make/model as the accident airplane. The wind conditions at the time of the accident were from 360 degrees magnetic at 4 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12