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20150721017119A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Grizzley Creek, AK · July 21, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 21, 2015 · 17:00 local
Place
Grizzley Creek, AK
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N323DH
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC15CA054
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
2,105 total2,000 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N323DHRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7939 · Built 1963Airframe 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.

Airmen was making supply runs to grizzly Creek, 8 miles east of stephan lake, Alaska. The airstrip elevation is approximately 3500 feet and there was 10-15 knot headwind. The airmen stated that he anticipated a down draft caused by the terrain and elevation of the airstrip; first landing of the day was uneventful.

Twenty-five minutes later the airmen returned with his second load of supplies; there was still a 10-15 knot head wind, the airmen again anticipated a downdraft. The airmen stated that he had his flaps fully extended for the landing, a few moments before touching down the aircraft was hit by a strong crosswind. The force of the crosswind pushed the nose of the aircraft to the right. The airmen applied full power to the engine, the aircraft bounced into the air but did not climb. When the aircraft left main landing tire contacted the ground, inertia had shifted to the left causing the left main landing gear to shift inboard and aft. When the gear shifted aft, the nose of the aircraft went down and to the left wing dropped. Both the propeller and left wing contact the ground; the aircraft slid of the runway to the left.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMEN WAS MAKING SUPPLY RUNS TO GRIZZLY CREEK, 8 MILES EAST OF STEPHAN LAKE, ALASKA. THE AIRSTRIP ELEVATION IS APPROXIMATELY 3500 FEET AND THERE WAS 10-15 KNOT HEADWIND. THE AIRMEN STATED THAT HE ANTICIPATED A DOWN DRAFT CAUSED BY THE TERRAIN AND ELEVATION OF THE AIRSTRIP; FIRST LANDING OF THE DAY WAS UNEVENTFUL.

TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER THE AIRMEN RETURNED WITH HIS SECOND LOAD OF SUPPLIES; THERE WAS STILL A 10-15 KNOT HEAD WIND, THE AIRMEN AGAIN ANTICIPATED A DOWNDRAFT. THE AIRMEN STATED THAT HE HAD HIS FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED FOR THE LANDING, A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIT BY A STRONG CROSSWIND. THE FORCE OF THE CROSSWIND PUSHED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRMEN APPLIED FULL POWER TO THE ENGINE, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED INTO THE AIR BUT DID NOT CLIMB. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LEFT MAIN LANDING TIRE CONTACTED THE GROUND, INERTIA HAD SHIFTED TO THE LEFT CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO SHIFT INBOARD AND AFT. WHEN THE GEAR SHIFTED AFT, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN AND TO THE LEFT WING DROPPED. BOTH THE PROPELLER AND LEFT WING CONTACT THE GROUND; THE AIRCRAFT SLID OF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT.

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 ANC15CA054Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportTalkeetna, AKThe pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.Jul 22, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N323DH · 1

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

Accident 20200515000919ALanding: Touchdown · Skwentna, AKAircraft ground looped after touchdown.May 15, 2020 · Substantial damage