What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 15, 1998, about 0830 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N4955A, sustained substantial damage while landing at an off airport site located about 18 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was filed. The flight originated at elmondorf air force base, Anchorage, about 0800. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge on October 15, the pilot reported that he was landing on a remote dirt road, commonly used by local pilots as an airstrip. The pilot stated that while on approach to the west he encountered winds from the north at 15 knots, with gusts to 25 knots. He reported that as the airplane touched down a strong gust of wind blew the airplane to the left, and the left wheel contacted loose gravel. The pilot stated that he applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane did not have sufficient airspeed to regain flight. The airplane veered off the road, and the left wheel struck a berm. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane's left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, and fuselage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. (.4) the commercial pilot was landing to the west on a remote dirt road. He reported that as the airplane touched down, a strong gust of wind blew the airplane to the left, and the left wheel contacted loose gravel. The pilot stated that he applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane did not have sufficient airspeed to regain flight. The airplane veered off the road, and the left wheel struck a piece of driftwood. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane's left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, and fuselage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. (-23) the pilot stated that while on approach to the west he encountered winds from the north at 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots. He reported that as the airplane touched down a strong gust of wind blew the airplane to the left, and the left wheel contacted loose gravel. The pilot stated that he applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing, but the airplane did not have sufficient airspeed to regain flight. The airplane veered off the road, and the left wheel struck a berm. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane's left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, and fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 15, 1998, ABOUT 0830 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 180 AIRPLANE, N4955A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT AN OFF AIRPORT SITE LOCATED ABOUT 18 MILES WEST OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ELMONDORF AIR FORCE BASE, ANCHORAGE, ABOUT 0800. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON OCTOBER 15, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING ON A REMOTE DIRT ROAD, COMMONLY USED BY LOCAL PILOTS AS AN AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE WEST HE ENCOUNTERED WINDS FROM THE NORTH AT 15 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS. HE REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN A STRONG GUST OF WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT, AND THE LEFT WHEEL CONTACTED LOOSE GRAVEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE APPLIED FULL POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT THE LANDING, BUT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO REGAIN FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE ROAD, AND THE LEFT WHEEL STRUCK A BERM. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, AND FUSELAGE. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. (.4) THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS LANDING TO THE WEST ON A REMOTE DIRT ROAD. HE REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, A STRONG GUST OF WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT, AND THE LEFT WHEEL CONTACTED LOOSE GRAVEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE APPLIED FULL POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT THE LANDING, BUT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO REGAIN FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE ROAD, AND THE LEFT WHEEL STRUCK A PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, AND FUSELAGE. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE WEST HE ENCOUNTERED WINDS FROM THE NORTH AT 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS. HE REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN A STRONG GUST OF WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT, AND THE LEFT WHEEL CONTACTED LOOSE GRAVEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE APPLIED FULL POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT THE LANDING, BUT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO REGAIN FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE ROAD, AND THE LEFT WHEEL STRUCK A BERM. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, AND FUSELAGE.
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 N4955A · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.