19990421003849A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18 · King Salmon, AK · April 21, 1999

Date
April 21, 1999 · 22:10 local
Place
King Salmon, AK
Airport
King Salmon
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1389A
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA054
Reported as
Piper PA18
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
130 total20 in this make and model10 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.

Acft crashed on landing and sustained substantial damage, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on April 21, 1999, about 2210 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire, tailwheel equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N1389A, recieved substantial damage while landing on runway 29 at the King Salmon Airport, King Salmon, Alaska. The certificated private pilot, and the one passenger aboard were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditoins prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight last departed merrill field, anchorage, Alaska, about 1900, and the destination was the King Salmon Airport. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board, investigator-in-charge on April 22, the pilot stated that the touchdown and the landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane's nose veered slightly to the left. He said he compensated by applying right rudder, but the airplane suddenly ground-looped to the left. He stated that the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing collided with the runway during the ground loop. He stated that the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing collided with the runway during the ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and right wing struts. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. (.4) the certificated private pilot was landing a tundra tire, tailwheel equipped airplane, on a paved dry runway. The pilot stated that the touchdown and the landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane's nose veered slightly to the left. He said he compensated by applying right rudder, but the airplane suddenly ground looped to the left. He stated that the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing collided with the runway during the ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and right wing struts. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. (-23) on April 21, 1999, about 2210 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire, tailwheel equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N1389A, received substantial damage while landing on runway 29 at the King Salmon Airport, King Salmon, AK. The certificated private pilot, and the one passenger aboard were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. VMC prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed merrill field, anchorage, AK, about 1900, and the destination was the King Salmon Airport. The pilot stated that the touchdown and the landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane's nose veered slightly to the left. The pilot applied right rudder, but the airplane suddenly ground looped to the left. He stated that the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing and the propeller collided with the runway during the ground loop. Substantial damage to the right wing and controls. No precedent anomalies were noted. Aircraft was in annual (11/9/98).

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON APRIL 21, 1999, ABOUT 2210 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE, TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N1389A, RECIEVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 29 AT THE KING SALMON AIRPORT, KING SALMON, ALASKA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITOINS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT LAST DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, ABOUT 1900, AND THE DESTINATION WAS THE KING SALMON AIRPORT. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON APRIL 22, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN AND THE LANDING ROLL WERE UNEVENTFUL, UNTIL THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. HE SAID HE COMPENSATED BY APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY GROUND-LOOPED TO THE LEFT. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY DURING THE GROUND LOOP. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY DURING THE GROUND LOOP. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, AND RIGHT WING STRUTS. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS LANDING A TUNDRA TIRE, TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, ON A PAVED DRY RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN AND THE LANDING ROLL WERE UNEVENTFUL, UNTIL THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. HE SAID HE COMPENSATED BY APPLYING RIGHT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY DURING THE GROUND LOOP. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, AND RIGHT WING STRUTS. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON APRIL 21, 1999, ABOUT 2210 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE, TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N1389A, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 29 AT THE KING SALMON AIRPORT, KING SALMON, AK. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VMC PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, AK, ABOUT 1900, AND THE DESTINATION WAS THE KING SALMON AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN AND THE LANDING ROLL WERE UNEVENTFUL, UNTIL THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE VEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING AND THE PROPELLER COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY DURING THE GROUND LOOP. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND CONTROLS. NO PRECEDENT ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. AIRCRAFT WAS IN ANNUAL (11/9/98).

NTSB investigation

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