# Accident 19980709023889A: Piper PA18125, Palmer, AK, July 9, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 9, 1998, 13:30 local time
- Place: Palmer, AK
- Airport: Palmer Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.6204° N, 148.9794° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.6204&lon=-148.9794&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1602A, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1602A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-125 (registry code 7101812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-125) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18125
- Reported engine: LYC O290D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 340 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980709023889A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

TUNDRA TIRES. LANDED ON REMOTE STRIP. HIT A DITCH. NOSED DOWN. WIND PUSHED TAIL OVER. (FROM .4)  THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT LANDED IN A REMOTE, OFF-AIRPORT AREA.  AFTER LANDING, HE WAS TAXIING TOWARD A TAKEOFF POSITION, AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ENTERED A SMALL DITCH.  THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ELEVATED IN RELATION TO THE NOSE, AND A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE TAIL.  THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, AND RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, AND LEFT WING LIFT STRUT.  THE PILOT SAID THE WIND CONDITIONS WERE FROM THE EAST AT 8 TO 10 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS FROM 15 TO 20 KNOTS.                                (-23) ON JULY 9, 1998, ABOUT 1330 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE. N1602A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AFTER LANDING TAXI. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES EAST OF PALMER AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE LANDED NEAR LAKE GEORGE, ON AN UNIMPROVED STRIP. AFTER LANDING THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE MAIN TIRES ENTERED A SMALL DITCH. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ELEVATED IN RELATION TO THE NOSE, AND A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE TAIL, CONSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER ON ITS BACK. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT WING STRUT , SOME WING RIBS, TAIL AND ENGINE COWLING RECEIVED VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF DAMAGE.

## 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 ANC98LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA093), Jul 9, 1998: Piper PA-18 (N1602A), Palmer, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to identify an unsafe/hazardous condition. A related factor was the ditch.

## Other reports on N1602A (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20071024824559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071024824559A), Oct 24, 2007: Piper PA18125 (N1602A), Pilot Point, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) According to the Pilot, while landing to the east on a gravel strip near dog salmon river lodge, the wind shifted direction from a strong gusty left…
- [Incident 19960930033409I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960930033409I), Sep 30, 1996: Piper PA18125 (N1602A), Wasilla, AK, Minor damage. Narrative: while practicing touch and go's at new Wasilla Airport, pilot heard loud bang on take off, observed right MLG handing down, contacted a…

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.