Piper PA18 N4231Z

Summary

On 27 June 2016 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA18 registered N4231Z was involved in an accident near Palmer, 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

27 June 2016 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmer, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.4381, -148.6681

Aircraft

Piper PA18

Registration

N4231Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Palmer

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC16CA041

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for an off-airport landing, which resulted in a collision with trees and a ground-loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, gravel covered, off-airport landing site adjacent to a river. Prior to landing, the pilot overflew the landing site multiple times at different altitudes for inspection. During the landing rollout the right wing struck tree branches, which resulted in a ground-loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he would have increased his familiarization of off-airport operations, or selected a more suitable landing site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.