Piper PA-18-150 N4249Z
5 July 1997 · Big Creek, Idaho, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 5 July 1997 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N4249Z was involved in an accident near Big Creek, Idaho, United States. One person was 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 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Big Creek, Idaho, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.0696, -115.9707
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150
- Registration
- N4249Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Yellow Pine → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA97LA163
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's inadequate terrain clearance and failure to maintain directional control. Also, the overload of the aircraft's left main landing gear strut assembly. Factors contributing to the accident were high density altitude conditions, downdrafts (associated with the lee side of mountain flying), and crosswinds.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While circling the Mile Hi United States Forest Service emergency airstrip to look at another aircraft accident, the pilot encountered lee side winds (downdraft), lost altitude and 'wound up having to flare to land.' The pilot intended to coast upslope and southbound over the ridge on which the north/south strip is situated, and take off on the upwind side. When the aircraft reached the top of the ridge the aircraft encountered an upslope wind which yawed the aircraft right. The aircraft then became airborne, crossing the top of the ridge and impacting the left main landing gear which then collapsed. The pilot estimated the winds at the accident site as 130-140 degrees at 5 to 10 knots, and the temperature at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The approximate density altitude based on that temperature and elevation was 8,700 feet.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-18 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Dixie, Idaho, United States | Frank E. Brown | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Middleville, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Battle Ground, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Chandler Air Service | No injuries | - |
All 2,950 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-28-181 | Leadore, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-22-150 | Challis, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-28-180 | Midvale, Idaho, United States | Warfield, DAN, L. | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Nov 1997 | Luscombe 8F | Boise, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 1997 | Blue Denney KITFOX MODEL 3 | Caldwell, Idaho, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 1997 | Bell 206L | Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States | Briles Helicopter | No injuries | - |