20200809020689I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Ambler, AK · August 9, 2020

Date: August 9, 2020 · 12:00 local
Place: Ambler, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3882Z
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N3882ZRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7696 · Built 1961 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine 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.

Actual date of incident is unclear. Pilot and passenger departed bettles 08/09/2020 for the river destination where the aircraft was found. An alnot was issued 08/12/2020 when the aircraft was reported overdue by a friend. The incident was the reported by the pilot to the NTSB as occurring on that same day. Pilot claimed wind blew it over after it was parked. The statement from mechanic and friend who was involved in the aircraft recovery was that the pilot "wrecked" on the gravel bar. Statement from helicopter pilot who took photos on the ground was "the plane flipped while rolling out". Aerial photos show the aircraft tire tracks leading directly to the location the aircraft is flipped onto its back. Photos taken from the ground show the composite propeller blades were destroyed while the engine was producing power. This evidence is in direct conflict with the pilots claim the plane was blown over while parked.

As the FAA filed it

ACTUAL DATE OF INCIDENT IS UNCLEAR. PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED BETTLES 08/09/2020 FOR THE RIVER DESTINATION WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND. AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED 08/12/2020 WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED OVERDUE BY A FRIEND. THE INCIDENT WAS THE REPORTED BY THE PILOT TO THE NTSB AS OCCURRING ON THAT SAME DAY. PILOT CLAIMED WIND BLEW IT OVER AFTER IT WAS PARKED. THE STATEMENT FROM MECHANIC AND FRIEND WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY WAS THAT THE PILOT "WRECKED" ON THE GRAVEL BAR. STATEMENT FROM HELICOPTER PILOT WHO TOOK PHOTOS ON THE GROUND WAS "THE PLANE FLIPPED WHILE ROLLING OUT". AERIAL PHOTOS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT TIRE TRACKS LEADING DIRECTLY TO THE LOCATION THE AIRCRAFT IS FLIPPED ONTO ITS BACK. PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE GROUND SHOW THE COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADES WERE DESTROYED WHILE THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER. THIS EVIDENCE IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE PILOTS CLAIM THE PLANE WAS BLOWN OVER WHILE PARKED.

Other reports on N3882Z · 3

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

Incident 19820825054259IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Ontario, OROver corrected on wheel landing. Lost control and ground looped. Collapsed gear, dragged wing.Aug 25, 1982 · Minor damage Accident 19780626015469ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Star, IDJun 26, 1978 · Substantial damage Accident 19750623018699ATakeoff Ground Roll · Jackson Hole, WYTkof from gravel rd. hit sage brush.Jun 23, 1975 · Destroyed