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20120227001769I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Lewiston, ID · February 27, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 27, 2012 · 17:49 local
Place
Lewiston, ID
Airport
Lewiston
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4313P
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
28,000 total240 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days
N4313PRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8009006 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming IO-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.

Incident aircraft was number 2 in a flight of four PA-18 airplanes enroute from Colorado to Alaska. This leg originated from a fuel stop in grangeville, ID flying to spokane, WA for fuel and overnight stop. Lead aircraft got an unfavorable weather report between Lewiston and spokane, and decided to land at the Lewiston, ID airport. While on approach to runway 21 the incident aircraft lost power. The pilot applied carb heat, full throttle, checked fuel valve, and magnetos with no effect. When the pilot saw that he could not make the airport he decided to land in an open field 1/4 mile from the end of the runway next to a golf course. As the time was approximately 1740 the pilot could not see all features of the open field and decided to make a full stall landing above five feet. This aircraft had skis on it so when the airplane landed hard the skiis stopped all ground absorbsion and both landing gear legs bent approximately 6 inches above the wheel axles. The prop hit the ground and both tips bent back approximately 6 inches from the tips. No other damage was found. The pilot reported to the tower he was down, and turned off the fuel and the battery switch. He exited the airplane with no assistance. After the aircraft was recovered, a temporary prop was installed and the engine started up right away and ran fine.

As the FAA filed it

INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS NUMBER 2 IN A FLIGHT OF FOUR PA-18 AIRPLANES ENROUTE FROM COLORADO TO ALASKA. THIS LEG ORIGINATED FROM A FUEL STOP IN GRANGEVILLE, ID FLYING TO SPOKANE, WA FOR FUEL AND OVERNIGHT STOP. LEAD AIRCRAFT GOT AN UNFAVORABLE WEATHER REPORT BETWEEN LEWISTON AND SPOKANE, AND DECIDED TO LAND AT THE LEWISTON, ID AIRPORT. WHILE ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21 THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT LOST POWER. THE PILOT APPLIED CARB HEAT, FULL THROTTLE, CHECKED FUEL VALVE, AND MAGNETOS WITH NO EFFECT. WHEN THE PILOT SAW THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT HE DECIDED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD 1/4 MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY NEXT TO A GOLF COURSE. AS THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 1740 THE PILOT COULD NOT SEE ALL FEATURES OF THE OPEN FIELD AND DECIDED TO MAKE A FULL STALL LANDING ABOVE FIVE FEET. THIS AIRCRAFT HAD SKIS ON IT SO WHEN THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD THE SKIIS STOPPED ALL GROUND ABSORBSION AND BOTH LANDING GEAR LEGS BENT APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES ABOVE THE WHEEL AXLES. THE PROP HIT THE GROUND AND BOTH TIPS BENT BACK APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES FROM THE TIPS. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE TOWER HE WAS DOWN, AND TURNED OFF THE FUEL AND THE BATTERY SWITCH. HE EXITED THE AIRPLANE WITH NO ASSISTANCE. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED, A TEMPORARY PROP WAS INSTALLED AND THE ENGINE STARTED UP RIGHT AWAY AND RAN FINE.