Piper PA-18 N1907A

Summary

On 6 September 2005 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N1907A was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, 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

6 September 2005 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

64.1133, -147.6050

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N1907A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC05CA139

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff initial climb, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush, and subsequent in-flight collision with trees. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was departing to the north, and downhill, from a one-way landing area, about 2,000 feet msl. The area, oriented north/south, was about 400 feet long, and about 15 feet wide. The pilot indicated that he began the takeoff roll with one notch of flaps selected. The airplane lifted off and climbed to about 40 feet agl. He reported that due to what he believed to be a tailwind, the tail of the airplane felt as if it was pushed downward, raising the nose of the airplane. He lowered the nose to prevent a stall, and began raising the flaps. The airplane collided with spruce trees about 200 yards from the takeoff area, and received damage to the landing gear, stabilizer, both wings and wing lift struts.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.