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20130513009949A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18A · Homer, AK · May 13, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 13, 2013 · 15:00 local
Place
Homer, AK
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2496P
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC13CA045
Reported as
Piper PA-18A
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total800 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N2496PRegistered now · Piper PA-18AS/N 18-4305Airframe modelPiper PA-18AEngine 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.

Airman was attempting a beach landing near tuxedni bay, Alaska. Airman performed three low passes over the intended beach landing area to ensure the surface was in acceptable condition. Airman determined the beach was in good condition, with no large obstructions and no ice. The landing surface of the beach was sloped from the left to the right, with the left side of the aircraft being on the shore line side.

The airman established the aircraft on a final approach to landing. The wind was mostly calm with an occasional gust to 15 mph. While on final approach, no wind correction was necessary to maintain the desired flight path to landing. As the aircraft touched down on the intended landing surface the airman brought the throttle to near idle. At this same time, a gust of wind struck the aircraft from the right side. As soon as he felt the wind gust, he made a full correction of opposite flight controls in an attempt to counteract the gust of wind. Because of the steep angle of the landing surface, this gust pushed the left wing tip down so quickly that it struck the beach, causing the aircraft to ground loop. During the ground loop, the right wing tip swung around and impacted a small tree near the shore line. The airman was uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN WAS ATTEMPTING A BEACH LANDING NEAR TUXEDNI BAY, ALASKA. AIRMAN PERFORMED THREE LOW PASSES OVER THE INTENDED BEACH LANDING AREA TO ENSURE THE SURFACE WAS IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION. AIRMAN DETERMINED THE BEACH WAS IN GOOD CONDITION, WITH NO LARGE OBSTRUCTIONS AND NO ICE. THE LANDING SURFACE OF THE BEACH WAS SLOPED FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT, WITH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING ON THE SHORE LINE SIDE.

THE AIRMAN ESTABLISHED THE AIRCRAFT ON A FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING. THE WIND WAS MOSTLY CALM WITH AN OCCASIONAL GUST TO 15 MPH. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, NO WIND CORRECTION WAS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE DESIRED FLIGHT PATH TO LANDING. AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE INTENDED LANDING SURFACE THE AIRMAN BROUGHT THE THROTTLE TO NEAR IDLE. AT THIS SAME TIME, A GUST OF WIND STRUCK THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. AS SOON AS HE FELT THE WIND GUST, HE MADE A FULL CORRECTION OF OPPOSITE FLIGHT CONTROLS IN AN ATTEMPT TO COUNTERACT THE GUST OF WIND. BECAUSE OF THE STEEP ANGLE OF THE LANDING SURFACE, THIS GUST PUSHED THE LEFT WING TIP DOWN SO QUICKLY THAT IT STRUCK THE BEACH, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND LOOP. DURING THE GROUND LOOP, THE RIGHT WING TIP SWUNG AROUND AND IMPACTED A SMALL TREE NEAR THE SHORE LINE. THE AIRMAN WAS UNINJURED.

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 ANC13CA045Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportNikiski, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, resulting in contact with terrain, and a ground loop.May 13, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2496P · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19760809024399ANormal Cruise · Kodiak, AKAug 9, 1976 · Substantial damageAccident 19740615024139ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Homer, AKFloat equipped. Attmptd tkof from small lake,settled into bank.Jun 15, 1974 · Substantial damage