20200819014569I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Delta Junction, AK · August 19, 2020

Date: August 19, 2020 · 15:00 local
Place: Delta Junction, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4005E
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 103 total57 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N4005ERegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7809016 · Built 1977 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.

Pilot stated that he was en route to fairbanks with one passenger. Both he and the passenger wanted to stretch their legs as they had been in the air for a couple hours and pilot could use the stop to add some fuel to the aircraft. Pilot initially intended to land at the road commission strip near the susitna river (0Z2), however, there were numerous vehicles parked on the runway. Pilot chose to land on the highway near where it crosses the susitna river. Pilot stated that as he slowed to about 20MPH he believes he encountered a crown in the road which caused the aircraft to veer to the left and was unable to counter with right rudder. Left wing struck spruce tree causing minor damage to wingtip and landing light.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS EN ROUTE TO FAIRBANKS WITH ONE PASSENGER. BOTH HE AND THE PASSENGER WANTED TO STRETCH THEIR LEGS AS THEY HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND PILOT COULD USE THE STOP TO ADD SOME FUEL TO THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT INITIALLY INTENDED TO LAND AT THE ROAD COMMISSION STRIP NEAR THE SUSITNA RIVER (0Z2), HOWEVER, THERE WERE NUMEROUS VEHICLES PARKED ON THE RUNWAY. PILOT CHOSE TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY NEAR WHERE IT CROSSES THE SUSITNA RIVER. PILOT STATED THAT AS HE SLOWED TO ABOUT 20MPH HE BELIEVES HE ENCOUNTERED A CROWN IN THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE LEFT AND WAS UNABLE TO COUNTER WITH RIGHT RUDDER. LEFT WING STRUCK SPRUCE TREE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO WINGTIP AND LANDING LIGHT.