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20140406003519A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Bethel, ME · April 6, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 6, 2014 · 12:30 local
Place
Bethel, ME
Airport
Bethel Regional
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N74843
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA14CA188
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,202 total2,500 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N74843Registered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-4085 · Built 1955Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine 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.

Pilot in command departed the hampton airfield (7B3) in north hampton, NH, with a destination of the Bethel Regional Airport (0B1) in Bethel, Maine on 04-06-2014, pilot in command was at the controls of N74843 a 1955 Piper PA-18-150 super cub (conventional gear single engine airplane). Pilot in command was to perform a banner tow for a client, pilot arrived at 0B1 at approximately 10:10 am, at approximately 11:37, after setting up the banner, PIC departed runway 32 came around the traffic pattern for runway 32 and then departed with the banner to the area of ellis pond northeast of 0B1, after making passes with the banner pilot return to 0B1 and dropped the banner on the snow on the side of runway 32, the winsock was still showing a left quartering headwind, pilot stated that the winds had been gusty all day (confirmed by data from the AWOS), pilot in command stated that he landed on the 1st 1/3 of runway 32, he slowed to a stop and ajusted the trim to about neutral and started a 180 degree turn to the left to back-taxi to exit the runway, as he turned he stated that he pushed the control stick forward to keep the tail down in the now occurring tail wind, he stated that when he was about 3/4 of the way around, a gust lifted the tail, he was unable to stop the the lifting action of the tail do to the gusting tail wind the gusting wind nosed the plane up and over on it's back. The AWOS report for Bethel at 12:30 which was the estimate time of the accident was 320 at 14 knots, gusting to 24 knots.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT IN COMMAND DEPARTED THE HAMPTON AIRFIELD (7B3) IN NORTH HAMPTON, NH, WITH A DESTINATION OF THE BETHEL REGIONAL AIRPORT (0B1) IN BETHEL, MAINE ON 04-06-2014, PILOT IN COMMAND WAS AT THE CONTROLS OF N74843 A 1955 PIPER PA-18-150 SUPER CUB (CONVENTIONAL GEAR SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE). PILOT IN COMMAND WAS TO PERFORM A BANNER TOW FOR A CLIENT, PILOT ARRIVED AT 0B1 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:10 AM, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:37, AFTER SETTING UP THE BANNER, PIC DEPARTED RUNWAY 32 CAME AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 32 AND THEN DEPARTED WITH THE BANNER TO THE AREA OF ELLIS POND NORTHEAST OF 0B1, AFTER MAKING PASSES WITH THE BANNER PILOT RETURN TO 0B1 AND DROPPED THE BANNER ON THE SNOW ON THE SIDE OF RUNWAY 32, THE WINSOCK WAS STILL SHOWING A LEFT QUARTERING HEADWIND, PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDS HAD BEEN GUSTY ALL DAY (CONFIRMED BY DATA FROM THE AWOS), PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT HE LANDED ON THE 1ST 1/3 OF RUNWAY 32, HE SLOWED TO A STOP AND AJUSTED THE TRIM TO ABOUT NEUTRAL AND STARTED A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT TO BACK-TAXI TO EXIT THE RUNWAY, AS HE TURNED HE STATED THAT HE PUSHED THE CONTROL STICK FORWARD TO KEEP THE TAIL DOWN IN THE NOW OCCURRING TAIL WIND, HE STATED THAT WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY AROUND, A GUST LIFTED THE TAIL, HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE THE LIFTING ACTION OF THE TAIL DO TO THE GUSTING TAIL WIND THE GUSTING WIND NOSED THE PLANE UP AND OVER ON IT'S BACK. THE AWOS REPORT FOR BETHEL AT 12:30 WHICH WAS THE ESTIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 320 AT 14 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 24 KNOTS.

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 ERA14CA188Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportBethel, METhe pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while taxiing after landing during gusty wind conditions.Apr 6, 2014 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N74843 · 1

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

Incident 19891224065392ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Miami, FLEngine problem. Aborted. Told glider to abort left. Glider overran two plane hitting it with its wing.Dec 24, 1989 · Minor damage