20090515025199A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Kenai, AK · May 15, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: May 15, 2009 · 14:30 local
Place: Kenai, AK
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N405TH
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 200 total20 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N405THRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7509005 · Built 1975 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.

Telephone interview with owner/pilot privacy data omitted on 5/22/09. After landing on a friend's dirt/sandy strip about 25 miles west of Kenai, he taxied to the end and while manuevering around his friend's a/c, the left wing leading edge hit a tree about a foot inbound the wing tip. The pilot examined the damage and felt the a/c was safe to fly. He then returned to soldotna airport (sxq). Initially the NTSB classified this as an incident but later upgraded it to an accident.

As the FAA filed it

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH OWNER/PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON 5/22/09. AFTER LANDING ON A FRIEND'S DIRT/SANDY STRIP ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF KENAI, HE TAXIED TO THE END AND WHILE MANUEVERING AROUND HIS FRIEND'S A/C, THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE HIT A TREE ABOUT A FOOT INBOUND THE WING TIP. THE PILOT EXAMINED THE DAMAGE AND FELT THE A/C WAS SAFE TO FLY. HE THEN RETURNED TO SOLDOTNA AIRPORT (SXQ). INITIALLY THE NTSB CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN INCIDENT BUT LATER UPGRADED IT TO AN ACCIDENT.