Piper PA-18-150 N135ES

Summary

On 12 April 2022 at about 02:45 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N135ES was involved in an accident near Beluga, 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

12 April 2022 at 02:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Beluga, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.4135, -151.9883

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N135ES

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Birchwood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC22LA029

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s excessive touchdown speed, which resulted in a long landing and 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 while landing off-airport on snow-covered mountainous terrain, the ski-equipped airplane touched down fast, and he was unable to make a left turn prior to the airplane impacting a “gully”. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the opposite side of the gully, both landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the terrain and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.