Piper PA-22-135 accident near Nebraska City, Nebraska, June 18, 2006
On June 18, 2006 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-135, registered N1270C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nebraska City, Nebraska (Nebraska City Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout and the resulting ground loop. A contributing factor was the excessive tail wheel steering (rudder) input by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2006 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nebraska City, Nebraska · Nebraska City Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135 · all PA-22-135s on the register
- Registration
- N1270C · registry record · serial 22-1063
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when the pilot lost directional control during the landing rollout. The airplane subsequently ground looped causing the left wing to contact the ground and the left main landing gear to collapse. The pilot reported that he flew a "normal downwind to final" with a "very good touchdown followed by the start of a smooth rollout." He stated that the tail wheel began to "wobble (chatter)" and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. He added engine power as the airplane reached the edge of the runway and applied rudder correction to return to the runway centerline. The pilot stated, "Too much right rudder started the ground loop which finished with the airplane having turned 180 [degrees]." When the airplane came to rest, the "left wing was down in the dirt with the left main folded under the airplane," according to the pilot. He noted no malfunctions with the airplane. He also commented that more patience with the tail wheel "chatter" may have prevented the over controlling which led to the ground loop.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,475 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 10,265 as pilot in command; 8,950 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,727 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PMV Plattsmouth NE at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from AFK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N1270C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI06CA159.