Piper PA-18-135 accident near Chandler, Arizona, March 21, 2003
On March 21, 2003 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N2474Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper flare and his failure to maintain directional control. A contributing factor is the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2003 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N2474Z · registry record · serial 18-3592
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tail-wheel equipped airplane sustained substantial damage when the pilot ground looped it during the landing roll. The student pilot flared high and touched down hard on the main wheels and bounced back into the air. The pilot attempted to recover by lowering the nose and executing a three-point landing. The airplane touched down again with the nose pointing to the left of the runway centerline. Unable to return the airplane back to runway heading, the pilot continued to the left and departed the runway into a dirt area. The airplane ground looped, with the right wing tip and right elevator making contact with the ground. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,413 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 31, 2002; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chandler Air Service, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ at 11:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04R, 4,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SDL, 22 miles away
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 LAX03LA115.