Piper PA 18-150 N985W

Summary

On 4 June 2015 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N985W, operated by Alaska CUB Training Specialists, was involved in an accident near McCarthy, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 June 2015 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

McCarthy, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Mc Carthy (15Z)

Coordinates

62.0996, -145.5300

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N985W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Alaska CUB Training Specialists

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wasilla → Ketchikan

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC15LA035

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to ensure adequate clearance from the spinning propeller while traversing the area between the leading edge of the wing and the nose of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the decision to leave the cockpits of the airplanes unattended while the engines were idling and gear was being loaded on board.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident airplane and three other airplanes were parked in a slightly staggered line and were being prepared for a cross-country group instructional flight. To stave off swarms of mosquitos while loading the airplanes, the engines of all four airplanes were started and allowed to operate at idle with the cockpits unattended. While the pilot was loading gear onto the right side of the accident airplane, the unoccupied airplane to the left of the accident airplane began slowly moving forward. The pilot attempted to go around the front of the accident airplane toward the left wing, likely to avoid the propeller of the moving airplane. Subsequently, the pilot was struck three times by the back of the accident airplane's spinning propeller.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.