Piper PA-18 N4500W

Summary

On 3 September 2003 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N4500W was involved in an accident near Koliganek, 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

3 September 2003 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Koliganek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.3325, -158.1036

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N4500W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Naknek → Aniak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03LA107

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an aborted landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was in cruise flight and noticed the airplane's carbon monoxide detector was black. He said he decided to land in a tundra-covered area that was about 1000 feet long, where he had landed in the past. He made one landing attempt, but decided to perform a go-around. On the second landing attempt, the pilot said he touched down, but he was going too fast. He aborted the landing and added full power. The airplane lifted-off, and climbed to between 15 to 20 feet above the ground. The pilot indicated that he began a slight right turn, at which time, the airplane settled to the ground. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane received damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot said the wind was light and variable.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.