Piper PA-18 N745

Summary

On 21 April 2001 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N745, operated by U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service, was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska, 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.

Date

21 April 2001 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

King Salmon (PAKN)

Coordinates

58.6769, -156.6492

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N745

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cold Bay → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC01TA049

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and inadequate weather evaluation resulting in a loss of directional control during the landing roll. Factors in the accident were the presence of a quartering tailwind, and an inadvertent ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was landing on runway 29 at an airport which was an intermediate stop on a cross-country government flight. The wind conditions were reported to the pilot as 070 degrees at 6 knots. After touchdown, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right brake pressure, but the airplane continued to the left. The right wingtip and the right aileron struck the gravel-covered ground along the left side of the runway. The wingtip was bent upward slightly, and the trailing edge of the right aileron was buckled upward. The pilot decided the airplane was airworthy, and continued the flight to his final destination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.