What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The student pilot was flying a PA-18-150. Joined by his friends a commercial pilot and a private pilot in another PA-18-150 they flew from the lake hood strip up the knik river area to practice gravel bar take offs and landings. After approximately 5 successful take offs and landings the aircraft were headed back to lake hood. The student pilot departed with a maximum performance takeoff and continued the best angle of climb, (vx) attitude of 45 miles per hour on the turn to crosswind at 300 feet above the ground and continued at 45 miles per hour on downwind where the aircraft was loosing lift at the high angle of attack because of a 15 knot tailwind. The aircraft lost lift and stalled. According to the student pilot, he was flying the take off patterns at vx on all legs. He stated that he had been taught to take off from a short field in the vx attitude and maintain vx until the obstacle is cleared and then lower the nose to the best rate of climb speed of 75 miles per hour. He had gotten away with flying the aircraft at vx around the pattern on several occasions. Being overconfident on the last attempt, he flew a little slower, turned a little tighter and was a little lower that any of the previous circuits. This combination along with 20 to 30 degrees of flaps caused the aircraft to stall and the aircraft ended up, upside down in the knik river with substantial damage. The friends flying the PA-18-150, N4280Z, helped the student pilot exit the downed aircraft and initiated calls to help the injured student pilot. The student pilot sustained lacerations to the right eye, his ear and neck. He was taken to the Palmer airport and then transported to the nearest hospital for treatment and stitches.
As the FAA filed it
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FLYING A PA-18-150. JOINED BY HIS FRIENDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT AND A PRIVATE PILOT IN ANOTHER PA-18-150 THEY FLEW FROM THE LAKE HOOD STRIP UP THE KNIK RIVER AREA TO PRACTICE GRAVEL BAR TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 SUCCESSFUL TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS THE AIRCRAFT WERE HEADED BACK TO LAKE HOOD. THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED WITH A MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF AND CONTINUED THE BEST ANGLE OF CLIMB, (VX) ATTITUDE OF 45 MILES PER HOUR ON THE TURN TO CROSSWIND AT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND CONTINUED AT 45 MILES PER HOUR ON DOWNWIND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOOSING LIFT AT THE HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK BECAUSE OF A 15 KNOT TAILWIND. THE AIRCRAFT LOST LIFT AND STALLED.ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, HE WAS FLYING THE TAKE OFF PATTERNS AT VX ON ALL LEGS. HE STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO TAKE OFF FROM A SHORT FIELD IN THE VX ATTITUDE AND MAINTAIN VX UNTIL THE OBSTACLE IS CLEARED AND THEN LOWER THE NOSE TO THE BEST RATE OF CLIMB SPEED OF 75 MILES PER HOUR. HE HAD GOTTEN AWAY WITH FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AT VX AROUND THE PATTERN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. BEING OVERCONFIDENT ON THE LAST ATTEMPT, HE FLEW A LITTLE SLOWER, TURNED A LITTLE TIGHTER AND WAS A LITTLE LOWER THAT ANY OF THE PREVIOUS CIRCUITS. THIS COMBINATION ALONG WITH 20 TO 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO STALL AND THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP, UPSIDE DOWN IN THE KNIK RIVER WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FRIENDS FLYING THE PA-18-150, N4280Z, HELPED THE STUDENT PILOT EXIT THE DOWNED AIRCRAFT AND INITIATED CALLS TO HELP THE INJURED STUDENT PILOT. THE STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED LACERATIONS TO THE RIGHT EYE, HIS EAR AND NECK. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE PALMER AIRPORT AND THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AND STITCHES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.