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20020526012789A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Mcgrath, AK · May 26, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 26, 2002 · 18:15 local
Place
Mcgrath, AK
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N4347Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC02FA038
Reported as
Piper PA18150
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
N4347ZRegistration cancelled Jan 24, 2007 · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8665 · Built 1968Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine 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 may 26, 2002, about 1815 adt, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane was destroyed during a fire that ensued after a collision with tree-covered terrain. The aircraft, N4347Z, had just departed a 1250 foot gravel strip near the headwaters of the big river, approximately 70 miles southeast of Mcgrath. The airplane was operated as a VFR part 91 flight and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured as a result of the fire. Witnesses at the scene stated that at the time of departure, a thunderstorm was approximately 1 mile northeast of the airstrip with gusty winds and heavy rain. The witnesses watched the aircraft begin the departure roll but due to a stand of trees, they did not see the aircraft lift-off. Approximately 5 minutes later, they observed smoke approximately 1300 beyond the departure end of the strip. Due to the thunderstorm activity in the area, there was a high probability of windshear at the departure time of the accident aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 26, 2002, ABOUT 1815 ADT, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED DURING A FIRE THAT ENSUED AFTER A COLLISION WITH TREE-COVERED TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT, N4347Z, HAD JUST DEPARTED A 1250 FOOT GRAVEL STRIP NEAR THE HEADWATERS OF THE BIG RIVER, APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MCGRATH. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A VFR PART 91 FLIGHT AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. WITNESSES AT THE SCENE STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, A THUNDERSTORM WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF THE AIRSTRIP WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. THE WITNESSES WATCHED THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN THE DEPARTURE ROLL BUT DUE TO A STAND OF TREES, THEY DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT LIFT-OFF. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER, THEY OBSERVED SMOKE APPROXIMATELY 1300 BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP. DUE TO THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA, THERE WAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF WINDSHEAR AT THE DEPARTURE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB ANC02FA038Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportLime Village, AKThe pilot's inadequate evaluation of weather and his inability to maintain aircraft control. A contributing factor was high winds due to thunderstorm outflow activity.May 27, 2002 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4347Z · 1

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

Accident 19800318006709AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Chignik Lake, AKEngine quit due to carburetor ice while flying a 100-foot AGL. Landed downwind in soft snow. Nosed over.Mar 18, 1980 · Substantial damage