Piper PA-18 N1129A

Summary

On 2 July 2002 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N1129A was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, 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

2 July 2002 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.3661, -149.6264

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N1129A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Talkeetna → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC02LA067

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, which resulted in a turbulence encounter and subsequent collision with a river embankment during maneuvering flight. A contributing factor was the presence of terrain induced turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was searching for a lost hiker along a river drainage in a float-equipped airplane. The pilot said he was maneuvering between 500 to 1,000 feet above the ground and had encountered turbulence that was being produced in the canyons along the river. Just before the accident, the pilot said a strong gust of wind yawed the airplane sideways, and lifted the left wing. The airplane descended toward the ground. The pilot leveled the airplane just before the float assembly collided with alder bushes along the bank of the river. The airplane then did a cartwheel and came to rest facing opposite the initial direction of travel. The airplane received damage to the float assembly, fuselage, and wings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.