# Accident 19980505011329A: Piper PA18150, Talkeetna, AK, May 5, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 5, 1998, 10:08 local time - Place: Talkeetna, AK - Airport: Talkeetna Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 62.4498° N, 149.7901° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.4498&lon=-149.7901&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4319Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4319Z) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (registry code 42289, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-c4p) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA18150 - Reported engine: LYC O320C2C - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 588 total, 200 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA044) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980505011329A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. LOST DIRCTIONAL CONTROL WHEN TAIL CAME UP ON TAKEOFF. VEERED OFF RUNWAY. EQUIPPED WITH LARGE TUNDRA TIRES. (.4) ON MAY 5, 1998, AT 1008 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18-160 AIRPLANE, N4319Z, EQUIPPED WITH 28 INCH TUNDRA TIRES, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT DEPARTED RUNWAY 36 DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE TALKEETNA AIRPORT, TALKEETNA, ALASKA. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT AND THE SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, TO MOVE THE AIRPLANE AND OCCUPANTS TO COLD BAY, ALASKA, WHERE THEY WERE TO WORK AS HUNTING GUIDES FOR THE OPERATOR. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR ON MAY 5, THE PILOT RELATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 36. RUNWAY 36 IS ASPHALT COVERED, AND IS 3,500 FEET LONG BY 75 FEET WIDE. THE PILOT SAID THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 5 KNOTS. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL CAME UP, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND HE LOWERED THE FLAPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS TOO SLOW TO FLY, DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. THE AIRPLANE SAT IN THE DITCH ABOUT ONE HOUR PRIOR TO BEING REMOVED. THE PEOPLE WHO RECOVERED THE AIRPLANE STATED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT WITH THE TAIL LIFTED UP, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WITH NO ABNORMALITIES. THE PILOT STATED IN HIS PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT THAT DURING HIS TAXI TO THE RUNWAY HE HAD TO INPUT EXCESSIVE RUDDER. HE ASKED HIS PASSENGER IF HIS FOOT WAS ON THE REAR BRAKES. WHILE INSPECTING THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE OWNER FOUND A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) ANTENNA CABLE LODGED IN THE RIGHT PARKING BRAKE, WITH THE BRAKE PARTIALLY SET. THE PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, HE REMOVED THE GPS TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE UNIT. HE BELIEVES THAT DURING REINSTALLATION, HE DID NOT RECONNECT THE CABLE, AND THAT THIS ALLOWED THE CABLE TO SLIP OFF THE DASH AND LODGE IN THE BRAKE. (-23) THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE DEPARTING THE TALKEETNA ALASKA ON A HUNTING TRIP TO COLD BAY, ALASKA. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND INTO A SWAMP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANERECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT NOR HIS PASSENGER WERE INJURED. INVE STIGATION INTO THE MATTER REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVERLOADED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC98LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA044), May 5, 1998: Piper PA-18-160 (N4319Z), Talkeetna, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight. A factor was the inadvertent activation of the parking brake. ## Other reports on N4319Z (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20040522011529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040522011529A), May 22, 2004: Piper PA18150 (N4319Z), Cold Bay, AK, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) The pilot departed a rural Alaska float pond in with a passenger and gear. Approximately 4 miles from the takeoff point (10 miles northwest of Cold Bay… - [Accident 19960516010809A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960516010809A), May 16, 1996: Piper PA18150 (N4319Z), Cold Bay, AK, Substantial damage. Tundra tire equipped plane lost control on tailup fast taxi. Slid sideways. Right gear folded. Wire rapped on gear. - [Accident 19910608020459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910608020459A), Jun 8, 1991: Piper PA18150 (N4319Z), Wasilla, AK, Substantial damage. Engine quit en route over airstrip. Circled to land on strip. Hit wires and crashed. Using non standard auto fuel. - [Accident 19741016035329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19741016035329A), Oct 16, 1974: Piper PA18150 (N4319Z), San Angelo, TX, Substantial damage From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.