What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The certificated commercial pilot was landing a ski equipped, tailwheel airplane on a remote, snow covered river gravel bar. During the landing roll, the landing gear skis struck an object buried in the snow. The pilot added power, and departed without stopping. The pilot did not observe what type of object was in the snow. Upon return to the departure airport, the pilot discovered damage to the fuselage at the right main landing gear attach point. (-23) on April 5, 1998, about 1300 adt, a ski-equipped Piper, PA-18-150 aircraft, N460Z, sustained damage while landing on a snow covered gravel bar in the Talkeetna river. The aircraft was operated as a personal flight under visual flight rules (VFR). During an interview with the pilot on 04/07/98, he stated the right ski struck an unknown object while landing. The impact bounced the aircraft back into the air, and the pilot added power and returned to Talkeetna. An examination of the aircraft found damage limited to the right front landing gear fitting. The pilot was counseled on the need fo r careful evaluation of the landing area during off-airport operations. The pilot had received a FAR 135 checkride from an inspector in the anc fs do recently, with satisfactory results.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS LANDING A SKI EQUIPPED, TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE ON A REMOTE, SNOW COVERED RIVER GRAVEL BAR. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LANDING GEAR SKIS STRUCK AN OBJECT BURIED IN THE SNOW. THE PILOT ADDED POWER, AND DEPARTED WITHOUT STOPPING. THE PILOT DID NOT OBSERVE WHAT TYPE OF OBJECT WAS IN THE SNOW. UPON RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, THE PILOT DISCOVERED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACH POINT. (-23) ON APRIL 5, 1998, ABOUT 1300 ADT, A SKI-EQUIPPED PIPER, PA-18-150 AIRCRAFT, N460Z, SUSTAINED DAMAGE WHILE LANDING ON A SNOW COVERED GRAVEL BAR IN THE TALKEETNA RIVER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT ON 04/07/98, HE STATED THE RIGHT SKI STRUCK AN UNKNOWN OBJECT WHILE LANDING. THE IMPACT BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT BACK INTO THE AIR, AND THE PILOT ADDED POWER AND RETURNED TO TALKEETNA. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND DAMAGE LIMITED TO THE RIGHT FRONT LANDING GEAR FITTING.THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON THE NEED FO R CAREFUL EVALUATION OF THE LANDING AREA DURING OFF-AIRPORT OPERATIONS. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A FAR 135 CHECKRIDE FROM AN INSPECTOR IN THE ANC FS DO RECENTLY, WITH SATISFACTORY RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4320Z · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.