20020804017419A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Gulkana, AK · August 4, 2002

Date: August 4, 2002 · 18:00 local
Place: Gulkana, AK
Airport: Gulkana
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N4151Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC02LA090
Reported as: Piper PA18150

N4151ZRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8327 · 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) According to the pilot, he was taking off with a four knot wind and an outside air temperature of 86 degrees. The density altitude was 3500 feet MSL. At 55 knots on his GPS, he rotated and banked left. He attempted to return the aircraft to level flight, but the flight controls would not respond to his input. The aircraft crashed in the parking lot of the airport. A certified mechanic found no evidence of flight control problems.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS TAKING OFF WITH A FOUR KNOT WIND AND AN OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE OF 86 DEGREES. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 3500 FEET MSL. AT 55 KNOTS ON HIS GPS, HE ROTATED AND BANKED LEFT. HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN THE AIRCRAFT TO LEVEL FLIGHT, BUT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WOULD NOT RESPOND TO HIS INPUT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE AIRPORT. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FLIGHT CONTROL PROBLEMS.

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 ANC02LA090Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGulkana, AKA jammed flight control system yoke/stick, which made directional control of the airplane not possible, and resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.Aug 5, 2002 · Substantial damage