Piper PA-22-150 accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, July 10, 2022
On July 10, 2022 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA-22-150, registered N5915D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fitchburg, Massachusetts (Fitchburg Muni 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 pilot's loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2022 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts · Fitchburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150, built 1956 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N5915D · registry record · serial 22-4577
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane in light crosswind conditions. He reported that after landing he was attempting to resolve a tailwheel shimmy when the airplane began to ground loop and exited the runway. The right main landing gear dug into soft dirt along the runway shoulder and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 752 hours in all; 188 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 682 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 27, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,130.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 313,552 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 pm from FIT
Weather report (METAR): KFIT 102352Z AUTO 32004KT 10SM CLR 25/07 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP161 T02500067 10289 20250 55002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 8, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.