Piper PA-22-160 accident near Bay Minette, Alabama, August 13, 2012
On August 13, 2012 at about 1:45 am local time, a Piper PA-22-160, registered N9216D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bay Minette, Alabama (Bay Minette airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the tailwheel linkage for reasons that could not be determined because the linkage was not located, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2012 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Bay Minette, Alabama · Bay Minette · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N9216D · registry record · serial 22-6276
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot performed seven uneventful full-stop landings; however, during the takeoff that preceded the accident, he felt something abnormal from the tailwheel. During the subsequent landing, the airplane began to drift to the left and could not be controlled with the appropriate brake and rudder inputs. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and the empennage was substantially damaged when it struck a precision approach path indicator light. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the linkage that attached the tailwheel to the rudder was not attached. The airplane had been operated for about 3 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 3 weeks before the accident. In addition, the airplane was converted from a tricycle to tailwheel configuration and had undergone a complete restoration during the previous 2 years. The tailwheel linkage was not located, and its preaccident condition could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- 552333 during descent - emergency
- 552230 during descent - emergency
- 552300 during descent - emergency
- 552470 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land, multi-engine sea, single-engine land, single-engine sea, AME, ASE, IAIR, APLN, none
- Flight time: 18,520 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 5,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 96 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 51 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,110 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 30, 2012; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 5R4 Foley AL at 1:10 am
- Destination: 1R8 Bay Minette AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,500 ft by 79 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°C, dew point 72°C
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from BFM, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA12LA505.