# Accident 19990605006409A: Piper PA12, Anchorage, AK, June 5, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 5, 1999, 07:05 local time - Place: Anchorage, AK - Airport: Lake Hood Strip Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 61.1608° N, 149.9908° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.1608&lon=-149.9908&mi=10 - Aircraft: N78456, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78456) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA12 - Reported engine: LYC O320A2B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,766 total, 162 in this make and model, 184 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA069) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990605006409A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JUNE 5, 1999, AT 0705 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PA-12 AIRPLANE, N78456, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE LAKE HOOD STRIP, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, AT 0605, ON A FISHING TRIP TO THE ALEXANDER RIVER, ABOUT 40 MILES TO THE NORTH. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED WITH A RELATIVE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SPOKE WITH THE NTSB IVNESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AT 0715. THEY SAID THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON A GRAVEL BAR ON THE ALEXANDER RIVER, THE AIRPLANE HIT HARD, BOUNCED, AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE LANDING. BOTH SAID THEY HEARD A LOUD NOISE DURING THE LANDING, AND THEN COULD SEE THAT THE RIGHT WHEEL WAS BENT. THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO ANCHORAGE, AND LAND ON THE GRAVEL STRIP AT LAKE HOOD. DURING THE LANDING, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE GROUND, DAMAGING THE WINGTIP AND RIGHT WING STRUT. (-23) WHILE TRYING TO LAND AT BIG SUSITNA SANDBAR, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WHEN THE PILOT FELT A BUMP, HE ABORTED THE LANDING AND TOOK OFF AGAIN. HE MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE OUT AT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE. HE THEN HEADED BACK TO LAKE HOOD STRIP, CALLED THE TOWER AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. WHEN ARRIVING AT LAKE HOOD STRIP, THE PILOT FLEW BY THE TOWER WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND RIGHT WINGTIP WAS SUSTAINED WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING. (.4) THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON AN OFF AIRPORT GRAVEL BAR, WITH A RIGHT CROSSWIND OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS. HE DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE DEVELOPING A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT PRIOR TO LANDING, AND INCREASING POWER TO SLOW THE DESCENT. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD, BOUNCED, AND HE ABORTED THE LANDING. HE THEN OBSERVED THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL MISALIGNED ABOUT 30 DEGREES. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT'S GRAVEL AIRSTRIP FOR AN EMERGENCY L ANDING. DURING THE LANDING, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT COLLAPSED, DAMAGING THE RIGHT-FRONT LIFT-STRUT. ## 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 ANC99LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA069), Jun 5, 1999: Piper PA-12 (N78456), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to compensate for the wind conditions and maintain a proper rate of descent during the approach for landing, which resulted in a hard landing, and the subsequent collapse of the… ## Other reports on N78456 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20070627013779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070627013779A), Jun 27, 2007: Piper PA12 (N78456), Anchorage, AK, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot departed merrill field for the deska river. After crossing cook inlet, his aircraft engine started to run rough. So after switching fuel tanks,… 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.