Piper PA-20-160 accident near Kemmerer, Wyoming, July 2, 1998
On July 2, 1998 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-20-160, registered N8933D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kemmerer, Wyoming (Kemmerer 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, resulting in a ground loop. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in a conventional landing gear type of airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1998 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kemmerer, Wyoming · Kemmerer Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20-160 · all PA-20-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8933D · registry record · serial 22-6091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he 'let the airplane get ahead' of him. He landed in light and variable winds and during the rollout, the airplane began 'fishtailing' and ground looped. In his accident report, the pilot said the airplane touched down on runway 34 and the tail veered to the left. He responded with left rudder input. The tail then swerved to the right and he responded with full right rudder and brake and directional control was lost. He indicated the wind was calm. The pilot reported he had 9 hours in airplane make and model.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 68 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 46 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,723 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 1998; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Farson WY at 3:30 pm
- Destination: EMM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 8,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 FTW98LA308.