Piper PA-22-160 accident near Gordon, Nebraska, April 19, 2005
On April 19, 2005, a Piper PA-22-160, registered N9332D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gordon, Nebraska (Gordon Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain direction control during landing. The pilot lack of familiarity with the airplane was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2005
- Place
- Gordon, Nebraska · Gordon Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N9332D · registry record · serial 22-6352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground-looped during landing. The pilot reported that he wanted to fly his recently purchased airplane "because the weather was calm." The pilot stated, "Although my instructor would not approve I [chose] to fly anyway." The pilot reported that he departed on runway 04 and entered the traffic pattern for runway 11. The pilot stated that during his second landing he "ground looped" the airplane. The airplane had been converted from a tricycle landing gear into a conventional (tailwheel) airplane. The pilot reported the winds were from 110 degrees magnetic at 5 knots. Federal Aviation Administration records show that the pilot was issued a student pilot certificate on February 13, 2003. Student pilot certificates are valid for 24-calendar months. The pilot did not have an instructor endorsement for the accident airplane make and model. The pilot reported that he had 2.0 hours in the accident airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GRN Gordon NE at 11:45 pm
- Destination: GRN Gordon NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 2,284 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 030° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9332D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.