# Accident 19990515005369A: Piper PA18150, Nome, AK, May 15, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 15, 1999, 13:30 local time
- Place: Nome, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 64.7090° N, 164.6208° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.7090&lon=-164.6208&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7051, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7051) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18150
- Reported engine: LYC O320B2B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 456 total, 337 in this make and model, 92 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99TA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99TA061) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990515005369A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 ANC99TA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99TA061), May 15, 1999: Piper PA-18 (N7051), Nome, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor in this accident was the crosswind.

## Other reports on N7051 (2)

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

- [Accident 20070811022679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070811022679A), Aug 11, 2007: Piper PA18150 (N7051), Mcgrath, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) On August 11, 2007, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper, PA-18 airplane, N7051, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over…
- [Accident 20030709029259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030709029259A), Jul 9, 2003: Piper PA18150 (N7051), Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) On a public service flight from soldotna to Anchorage the pilot made a practice landing on a dirt road. During rollout, the left wing struck high brush…

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.

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