Piper PA18 N62744
7 November 2016 · Mouth of The Big Susitna River, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 November 2016 at about 00:30 local time, a Piper PA18 registered N62744 was involved in an accident near Mouth of The Big Susitna River, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mouth of The Big Susitna River, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.2553, -150.4000
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18
- Registration
- N62744
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1978
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Birchwood → Mouth of The Big Susitna River
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA17CA057
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to take off with a gusting quartering tailwind and his subsequent loss of airplane control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during takeoff from a tidal flat, a strong quartering tailwind gust "hit the tail" and he corrected with rudder. The pilot further reported that as soon as the airplane became airborne another strong quartering tailwind gust pushed the airplane inline to impact a driftwood tree that was lying on the tidal flat. The airplane proceeded to strike and bounce off of the driftwood tree and then descended toward a water channel. The pilot reported that he "did not know exactly what happened", other than the airplane touched down on the other side of the water channel and the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the left wingtip hit the ground and the airplane slid to a stop backwards. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA18 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May 2016 | Piper PA18 | Seward, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 2016 | Piper PA18 | Hanna, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2016 | Piper PA18 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2016 | Piper PA18 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2016 | Piper PA18 | Central, Alaska, United States | Swift Fork Air | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2016 | Piper PA18 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2016 | Piper PA 18-150 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Dec 2016 | Robinson R22 | Unalaska, Alaska, United States | Bering Pacific Ranches Ltd. | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2016 | Cessna 172 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2016 | Cessna T207 | Nanwalek, Alaska, United States | Smokey Bay Air Inc | No injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2016 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Soldotna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 2016 | Cessna CE-208 | Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States | Grant Aviation Inc. | Minor injuries | - |