20060910018149I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-135 · Knik Glacier, AK · September 10, 2006

Date
September 10, 2006 · 17:45 local
Place
Knik Glacier, AK
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1366C
Reported as
Piper PA18135
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
510 total400 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

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) The pilot stated that while his aircraft was parked on a remote airstrip near the Knik Glacier, Alaska, the wind started to increase and became very gusty. The aircraft had not been tied down upon his arrival on a recreational trip. He returned to the aircraft to attempt tying it down to some nearby alder trees. He stated that he started the airplane in an attempt to reposition near the trees. Using power he turned the airplane into a down wind condition attempting to get to the alders. A gust of wind caught the airplane while in a down wind condition causing it to flip over on its back. There was a slight bend in the propeller and the tip of rudder was slightly bent.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE HIS AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED ON A REMOTE AIRSTRIP NEAR THE KNIK GLACIER, ALASKA, THE WIND STARTED TO INCREASE AND BECAME VERY GUSTY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN TIED DOWN UPON HIS ARRIVAL ON A RECREATIONAL TRIP. HE RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT TO ATTEMPT TYING IT DOWN TO SOME NEARBY ALDER TREES. HE STATED THAT HE STARTED THE AIRPLANE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPOSITION NEAR THE TREES. USING POWER HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE INTO A DOWN WIND CONDITION ATTEMPTING TO GET TO THE ALDERS. A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE AIRPLANE WHILE IN A DOWN WIND CONDITION CAUSING IT TO FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. THERE WAS A SLIGHT BEND IN THE PROPELLER AND THE TIP OF RUDDER WAS SLIGHTLY BENT.