20001013030509I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Togiak, AK · October 13, 2000

Date: October 13, 2000 · 18:00 local
Place: Togiak, AK
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N88AK
Reported as: Piper PA18150
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N88AKRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8311 · Built 1965 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) On October 13, 2000 an Alaska state trooper was pilot in command of Piper PA-18 N88AK registered to the state of Alaska. At the time of the occurrence the a/c was being operated on a public safety mission to rescue a mental patient that was attempting to walk from Togiak to platinum. The trooper made a safe, off airport, landing on a ridge near the subject. While taxiing, one wheel went in an unseen depression that caused the propeller to strike the ground. The state trooper management advised the pilot that, considering the risk to the life of the mental patient, he did not take unnecessary risk and that the prop strike was considered part of the cost of doing business.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 13, 2000 AN ALASKA STATE TROOPER WAS PILOT IN COMMAND OF PIPER PA-18 N88AK REGISTERED TO THE STATE OF ALASKA. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE THE A/C WAS BEING OPERATED ON A PUBLIC SAFETY MISSION TO RESCUE A MENTAL PATIENT THAT WAS ATTEMPTING TO WALK FROM TOGIAK TO PLATINUM. THE TROOPER MADE A SAFE, OFF AIRPORT, LANDING ON A RIDGE NEAR THE SUBJECT. WHILE TAXIING, ONE WHEEL WENT IN AN UNSEEN DEPRESSION THAT CAUSED THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE STATE TROOPER MANAGEMENT ADVISED THE PILOT THAT, CONSIDERING THE RISK TO THE LIFE OF THE MENTAL PATIENT, HE DID NOT TAKE UNNECESSARY RISK AND THAT THE PROP STRIKE WAS CONSIDERED PART OF THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.