19960921029259A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Noatak, AK · September 21, 1996

Date
September 21, 1996 · 13:00 local
Place
Noatak, AK
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9366D
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC96LA167
Reported as
Piper PA18150
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,183 total4,000 in this make and model175 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) On September 21, 1996, at 1300 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N9366D, registered to and operated by the pilot, nosed over during an off airport landing on a mountain ridge near Noatak, Alaska. The business flight, operating under 14 CFR part 91 for the purpose of hunt guiding, departed a remote field site and the destination was the location of the accident. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane received substantial damage. During a telephone conversation with the pilot on October 7, 1996, he stated that it had snowed approximately 18 inches on the mountain ridge. His guide and client stamped out a landing area and estimated the stamped down snow to be 2 to 3 inches deep. The pilot landed the airplane and during the roll out the airplane's wheels hit a small depression where the snow was 8 to 10 inches deep. The airplane nosed over and bent the propeller and a wing lift strut.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1996, AT 1300 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N9366D, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, NOSED OVER DURING AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING ON A MOUNTAIN RIDGE NEAR NOATAK, ALASKA. THE BUSINESS FLIGHT, OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 FOR THE PURPOSE OF HUNT GUIDING, DEPARTED A REMOTE FIELD SITE AND THE DESTINATION WAS THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE PILOT ON OCTOBER 7, 1996, HE STATED THAT IT HAD SNOWED APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES ON THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE. HIS GUIDE AND CLIENT STAMPED OUT A LANDING AREA AND ESTIMATED THE STAMPED DOWN SNOW TO BE 2 TO 3 INCHES DEEP. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE AND DURING THE ROLL OUT THE AIRPLANE'S WHEELS HIT A SMALL DEPRESSION WHERE THE SNOW WAS 8 TO 10 INCHES DEEP. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND BENT THE PROPELLER AND A WING LIFT STRUT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.