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20180913013489A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Drift River, AK · September 13, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 13, 2018 · 10:00 local
Place
Drift River, AK
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7184B
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA558
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,025 total750 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days
N7184BRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-5224 · Built 1956Airframe 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.

The following statement was from the pilots NTSB report.

I checked ATIS and departed kenai airport 9/13/2018, at 10:40 a.m. with full fuel. Weather was clear. Crossed cook inlet at 4500 feet and flew direct to unimproved strip on the kustatan River approximately 35 miles west of kenai. Arrived approximately 11:10 am. Weather clear, wind calm. I had landed at the strip earlier, on 9/9/2018, and determined that it was rough and brushy. I intended to set up a moose hunting camp there, so the purpose of the trip was to clear the strip by removing some young trees and brush that prevented a fuller utilization of the strip and to set up a tent. I had no passengers. My load consisted of a chain saw, chain saw fuel, firearm and misc. Camping gear.

I set up the landing with a relatively steep descent and full flaps. I landed hard and bounced. The plane angled slightly to the left of center and then continued to pull left on roll-out, caused, I believe by the uneven surface and my failure to provide adequate control inputs to correct the Drift. The left wing impacted a small tree causing the aircraft to pivot into an adjacent tree, stopping the aircraft and further damaging the wing. The propeller also received damage. The engine was still running after the aircraft came to rest. I estimate the distance from touchdown to impact to be approximately 300 feet.

As the FAA filed it

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS FROM THE PILOTS NTSB REPORT.

I CHECKED ATIS AND DEPARTED KENAI AIRPORT 9/13/2018, AT 10:40 A.M. WITH FULL FUEL. WEATHER WAS CLEAR. CROSSED COOK INLET AT 4500 FEET AND FLEW DIRECT TO UNIMPROVED STRIP ON THE KUSTATAN RIVER APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES WEST OF KENAI. ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY 11:10 AM. WEATHER CLEAR, WIND CALM. I HAD LANDED AT THE STRIP EARLIER, ON 9/9/2018, AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS ROUGH AND BRUSHY. I INTENDED TO SET UP A MOOSE HUNTING CAMP THERE, SO THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP WAS TO CLEAR THE STRIP BY REMOVING SOME YOUNG TREES AND BRUSH THAT PREVENTED A FULLER UTILIZATION OF THE STRIP AND TO SET UP A TENT. I HAD NO PASSENGERS. MY LOAD CONSISTED OF A CHAIN SAW, CHAIN SAW FUEL, FIREARM AND MISC. CAMPING GEAR.

I SET UP THE LANDING WITH A RELATIVELY STEEP DESCENT AND FULL FLAPS. I LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED. THE PLANE ANGLED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT OF CENTER AND THEN CONTINUED TO PULL LEFT ON ROLL-OUT, CAUSED, I BELIEVE BY THE UNEVEN SURFACE AND MY FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE CONTROL INPUTS TO CORRECT THE DRIFT. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A SMALL TREE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PIVOT INTO AN ADJACENT TREE, STOPPING THE AIRCRAFT AND FURTHER DAMAGING THE WING. THE PROPELLER ALSO RECEIVED DAMAGE. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. I ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE FROM TOUCHDOWN TO IMPACT TO BE APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET.

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 GAA18CA558Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportKenai, AKThe pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and subsequent loss of directional control on an unimproved airstrip.Sep 13, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7184B · 2

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

Accident 20190827019119ALanding: Touchdown · Kenai, AKThe pilot departed Kenai airport at 22:53Z with approximately 20 gallons of fuel and a light load consisting of: a tent, sleeping bag, two firearms and survival gear. Weather was clear with smoke reported. The pilot flew across cook inlet at 4500 feet and…Aug 27, 2019 · Substantial damageAccident 20160827022929ALanding: Touchdown · Kenai, AKLanding area was wet and vegetated, wheels dug in and caused aircraft to nose over, resulting in aircraft settling upside down.Aug 27, 2016 · Substantial damage