Piper PA-18 N5408Y

Summary

On 22 June 2008 at about 00:20 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N5408Y, operated by Sherman Reynolds, was involved in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 June 2008 at 00:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Skwentna, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Tal River Lodge

Coordinates

61.8567, -151.3989

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N5408Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sherman Reynolds

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Skwentna → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08LA075

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll and liftoff, which resulted in a collision with trees and the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was departing from a remote airstrip that was about 2,000 feet long, and about 40 feet wide. He indicated that the center of the airstrip was gravel, with 8 inch-high grass along the edges. He said that during the takeoff roll and after the tailwheel came up, the airplane pulled to the right, possibly due to the right main landing gear encountering the grass edge. The airplane lifted off to about 15 feet while drifting to the right, and the right wingtip struck trees that were along the edge of the airstrip.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.