Piper PA-18-135 N9841Q

Summary

On 7 January 1993 at about 20:40 local time, a Piper PA-18-135 registered N9841Q, operated by US State Animal Damage Cont, was involved in an accident near Council, Idaho, 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.

Date

7 January 1993 at 20:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Council, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Council (U52)

Coordinates

44.8901, -116.5394

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-135

Registration

N9841Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

US State Animal Damage Cont

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cambridge → Boise

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA93GA049

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE DURING THE LOW PASS. THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION WERE FACTORS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT UPON ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT, HE NOTED THAT THE RUNWAY HAD NOT BEEN RECENTLY PLOWED OF SNOW. A LOW PASS TO THE NORTH OVER THE RUNWAY WAS MADE TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF THE SNOW. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND APPROACHED THE RUNWAY TO THE SOUTH TO MAKE A RUN ON THE RUNWAY AND 'DRAG' THE WHEELS ON THE SNOW. THE WHEELS CONTACTED THE SNOW JUST PAST MID FIELD AND THE PILOT STATED 'IMMEDIATELY WE WERE IN TOO DEEP AND I WAS UNABLE TO PULL IT OUT OR ADD POWER...' THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. AIRPORT PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED SINCE DECEMBER 27, 1992. THE PILOT DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE AIRPORT OPERATOR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.