# Accident 20210507008979A: Piper PA-18-150, Cold Bay, AK, May 7, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 7, 2021, 13:01 local time
- Place: Cold Bay, AK
- Airport: Cold Bay
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 55.2001° N, 162.7168° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=55.2001&lon=-162.7168&mi=10
- Aircraft: N717DR (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,800 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC21LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA037) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210507008979A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT STATED THE OBSERVED WINDS WERE 18 TO 24 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF AS REPORTED FROM THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. PILOT FURTHER STATED THE CROSSWIND WAS MANAGEABLE ON TAKEOFF ROLL, BUT DURING TAKEOFF ROTATION, AT APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET OFF THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIT WITH A ROGUE GUST OF WIND THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SIDE SLIP AND LOSE LIFT.  AIRCRAFT TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE RUNWAY AND SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR, WINGS, AND PROPELLER.  FLIGHT SERVICE STATION OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AND STATED THAT THE APPROXIMATE WIND SPEED OF THE GUST WAS 41 KNOTS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC21LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA037), May 7, 2021: Piper PA-18-150 (N717DR), Cold Bay, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in a gusty crosswind condition.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.