What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Alaska department of fish and wildlife public use acft veered off the right side of a road while landing on it and went into a ditch, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on may 15, 1999, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-ski equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7051, sustained substantial damage when it nosed down during landing about 40 miles north of Nome, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a public use aircraft by the state of Alaska department of public safety. The flight departed Nome about 1230. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on may 17, that he was landing on a clear section of a two-lane gravel road to assist a company airplane which had become stuck in soft snow. There was a 10 knot crosswind, blowing from 40 degrees left of the airplane's nose. The pilot stated that the touchdown and landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane's nose veered to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-rear lift-strut. (.4) on may 15, 1999, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-ski equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7051, sustained substantial damage when it nosed down during landing about 58 miles north of Nome, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a public use aircraft by the state of Alaska department of public safety. The flight departed Nome about 1205 to patrol for bear hunters. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on may 17, that he was landing on a clear section of a two-lane gravel road to assist a company airplane which had become stuck in soft snow. There was a 12 knot crosswind, blowing from 40 degrees left of the airplane's nose. The pilot stated that the touchdown and landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane "crow hopped" to the right. The airplane departed the right side of the road. The wheels contacted soft snow, and the airplane nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-rear lift-strut. The pilot told the iic that ther e were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE PUBLIC USE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF A ROAD WHILE LANDING ON IT AND WENT INTO A DITCH, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON MAY 15, 1999, ABOUT 1330 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL-SKI EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N7051, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT NOSED DOWN DURING LANDING ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF NOME, ALASKA. THE SOLO PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT BY THE STATE OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NOME ABOUT 1230. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON MAY 17, THAT HE WAS LANDING ON A CLEAR SECTION OF A TWO-LANE GRAVEL ROAD TO ASSIST A COMPANY AIRPLANE WHICH HAD BECOME STUCK IN SOFT SNOW. THERE WAS A 10 KNOT CROSSWIND, BLOWING FROM 40 DEGREES LEFT OF THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN AND LANDING ROLL WERE UNEVENTFUL, UNTIL THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT-REAR LIFT-STRUT. (.4) ON MAY 15, 1999, ABOUT 1330 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL-SKI EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N7051, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT NOSED DOWN DURING LANDING ABOUT 58 MILES NORTH OF NOME, ALASKA. THE SOLO PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT BY THE STATE OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NOME ABOUT 1205 TO PATROL FOR BEAR HUNTERS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON MAY 17, THAT HE WAS LANDING ON A CLEAR SECTION OF A TWO-LANE GRAVEL ROAD TO ASSIST A COMPANY AIRPLANE WHICH HAD BECOME STUCK IN SOFT SNOW. THERE WAS A 12 KNOT CROSSWIND, BLOWING FROM 40 DEGREES LEFT OF THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN AND LANDING ROLL WERE UNEVENTFUL, UNTIL THE AIRPLANE "CROW HOPPED" TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE WHEELS CONTACTED SOFT SNOW, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT-REAR LIFT-STRUT. THE PILOT TOLD THE IIC THAT THER E WERE NO PREACCIDENT ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE.
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 N7051 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.