Piper PA-18 N7777D

Summary

On 9 August 2000 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N7777D was involved in an accident near Delta Junction, 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.

Date

9 August 2000 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Delta Junction, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

63.6996, -144.8896

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N7777D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC00LA096

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation. Factors in the accident were an uphill takeoff, high vegetation, and a short runway area.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was departing a small airstrip at a mining claim. The airstrip is oriented east/west, and is about 600 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a 6 to 10 degree slope. The pilot said the wind was blowing downhill, so he decided to take off toward the west, in an uphill direction. The wind was blowing from the west between 10 to 15 knots. The airplane lifted off, but at the end of the airstrip, the tires were only about 2 to 3 feet above the ground. The tires began skimming the tops of low bushes that surrounded the airstrip. The pilot said that the wind speed decreased, and the airplane contacted the ground and nosed over. The airplane received damage to the engine propeller, wings, and empennage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.