Piper PA-18 N4280Z
21 January 1989 · Girdwood, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 January 1989 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N4280Z, operated by Gerald G. Chisum, was involved in an accident near Girdwood, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Girdwood, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 60.9004, -148.9091
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18
- Registration
- N4280Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Gerald G. Chisum
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Girdwood → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC89LA036
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF FROM A SLOPED TERRAIN THAT WAS TOO STEEP FOR A SAFE OPERATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DOWNHILL, ICY TERRAIN CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN BOTH HIS AND THE AIRPLANE'S ABILITY..
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT LANDED UP-SLOPE ON A GLACIER AND WAS TURNING TO TAKEOFF DOWN-SLOPE WHEN TAILWIND AND 10-20 DEGREE SLOPE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN THROUGH THE DESIRED TAKEOFF HEADING, AND TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. THE RIGHT SKI DUG INTO THE SNOW, CAUSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE, AND THE RIGHT WING TO CONTACT THE FROZEN SURFACE. THE CRASH SITE ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 4,400 FEET MSL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-18 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 1989 | Piper PA-18 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 1989 | Piper PA-18 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | Niver, Mark A. | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 1989 | Piper PA-18 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | Fritz J. Christie | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 1989 | Piper PA-18-150 | Medicine Lake, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 May 1989 | Piper PA-18 | Harding Lake, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 1989 | Piper PA-18-150 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | Boulder Flying Service | No injuries | - |
All 2,950 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 1989 | Piper PA-32 | Kasigluk, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 1989 | Cessna 185E | Alexander Lake, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1989 | Aeronca 15AC | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 1989 | Cessna 180-A | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 1989 | Cessna 185 | Trinity Lake, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1989 | Cessna 152 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |