Piper PA-12 N149AK

Summary

On 6 September 2021 at about 21:30 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N149AK was involved in an accident near Tyonek, 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 2021 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.2723, -152.0650

Aircraft

Piper PA-12

Registration

N149AK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA085

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s selection of inappropriate terrain and decision to land with a tailwind, which resulted in a loss of directional control, an attempted go-around, and subsequent impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing off-airport, uphill, with a quartering tailwind. After touchdown, as the airplane began to slow, he began to have a loss of directional control. He attempted a go-around but had insufficient airspeed to attain an altitude to clear the approaching terrain. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the soft gravel terrain, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage sustained to the right-wing spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.