Piper PA-18 N4320Z

Summary

On 8 August 2003 at about 04:25 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N4320Z, operated by MAX Schwab Master Guide, was involved in an accident near Healy, 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

8 August 2003 at 04:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Healy, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

63.8533, -147.5278

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N4320Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

MAX Schwab Master Guide

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Healy → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03LA092

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and failure to maintain aircraft control after encountering wind gusts during the landing flare/touchdown which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and subsequent nose over. A factor contributing to the accident was the presence of gusty wind conditions.

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 a tundra tire-equipped airplane at a remote site for the purpose of transporting a hunting client to a camp. The landing area, where the pilot had landed in the past, was an area of tundra about 600 feet long and 50 feet wide. The landing area is located in a creek drainage, surrounded by mountains. The pilot indicated that as he was landing toward the south, about 3 feet above touchdown, a 20 to 30 knot gust of wind from the west blew the airplane into several willow trees. The airplane came to rest inverted, and received damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that the wind conditions had previously been light and variable.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.