Piper PA-22-150 accident near Concord, California, May 18, 2001
On May 18, 2001 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N3170Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Concord, California (Buchanan Field). 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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions, resulting in a loss of directional control and the inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2001 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Concord, California · Buchanan Field · 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 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N3170Z · registry record · serial 22-7122
- 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 the landing roll. The pilot noted prior to landing that there was a 90-degree crosswind at 10 knots. During the landing roll the airplane veered to the right. When the pilot added full left rudder and brakes he overcorrected the airplane and it veered to the left. He was not able to return the airplane back to runway heading. The airplane continued in a left circle and ground looped. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane by the pilot.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,207 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 1,048 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,012 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 2000; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-2B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C83 Byron CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: CCR Concord CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32R, 4,601 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from CCR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N3170Z 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 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 LAX01LA185.