20150703011439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18A 150 · Wasilla, AK · July 3, 2015

Date: July 3, 2015 · 13:08 local
Place: Wasilla, AK
Airport: Tidewater Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9189D
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC15LA044
Reported as: Piper PA-18A 150
Reported engine: Lycoming O-320
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 270 total250 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N9189DRegistered now · Piper PA-18A 150S/N 186528 Airframe modelPiper PA-18A 150

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.

Overhauled engine was installed and pilot was making break-in flights. Took off and remained in pattern, landed and performed leak checks, etc. Took off and while at 1400 ft in pattern engine starting running rough. Landed and inspected, sumped tanks, checked mags, etc. No issues noted. Took off to west and at end of runway at 300 ft engine sputtered, switched tanks and applied carb heat, no help. Unable to maintain altitude attempted to reach nearby golf course. Aircraft entered trees and stalled at about 35 mph at 30' AGL. Pushed nose over and crashed into ground. No injuries. Aircraft hit right wing low and folded the right wing under fuselage, main landing gear broken off.

As the FAA filed it

OVERHAULED ENGINE WAS INSTALLED AND PILOT WAS MAKING BREAK-IN FLIGHTS. TOOK OFF AND REMAINED IN PATTERN, LANDED AND PERFORMED LEAK CHECKS, ETC. TOOK OFF AND WHILE AT 1400 FT IN PATTERN ENGINE STARTING RUNNING ROUGH. LANDED AND INSPECTED, SUMPED TANKS, CHECKED MAGS, ETC. NO ISSUES NOTED. TOOK OFF TO WEST AND AT END OF RUNWAY AT 300 FT ENGINE SPUTTERED, SWITCHED TANKS AND APPLIED CARB HEAT, NO HELP. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE ATTEMPTED TO REACH NEARBY GOLF COURSE. AIRCRAFT ENTERED TREES AND STALLED AT ABOUT 35 MPH AT 30' AGL. PUSHED NOSE OVER AND CRASHED INTO GROUND. NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT HIT RIGHT WING LOW AND FOLDED THE RIGHT WING UNDER FUSELAGE, MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKEN OFF.

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 ANC15LA044Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWasilla, AKThe partial loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.Jul 3, 2015 · Substantial damage