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SEA89LA158

1989-08-27 · INDEPENDENCE, Oregon, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 7S5

Current FAA registration · N4549H

Make / Model
PIPER PA-15
Year of manufacture
1948 · 41 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19570313
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A58493

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND LOOP AND SUBSEQUENT OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: IMPROPER FLARE BY THE PILOT.

Factual narrative

DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH SLOW AIRSPEED (RPRTDLY TAILWHEEL 1ST), THEN GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, THE RIGHT WING WAS DAMAGED AND THE PROP STRUCK THE GROUND. NO PREVIOUS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_SEA89LA158.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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