20210922012909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Yakutat, AK · September 22, 2021

Date: September 22, 2021 · 19:00 local
Place: Yakutat, AK
Airport: Yakutat
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: FOJC
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N82448
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC21LA099
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 29,500 total11,600 in this make and model240 in the last 90 days

N82448Registered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7909099 · Built 1979 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 is a guide and was transporting a bear hunter to a hunting location along the beach. The pilot had spotted a dead whale that had washed onto the shore. The wind was gusting over 30 knots, a crosswind to landing direction. Pilot landed high on the shore. Off airport landing. After landing the pilot was taxiing to a parking spot to off load. Swirling wind encountered, wind direction changed rapidly 180 degrees. Aircraft became airborne with the rapid change in wind direction. As the wind moved from the front back to the side the lost of sudden lift caused the aircraft to hit wing tip first, the impact broke the landing gear followed by prop strike. Pilot and passenger existed the aircraft unharmed. Pilot estimates wind speeds were greater than 40 knots. Aircraft tied down for over night stay. Helicopter moved the aircraft to tsiu lodge. Aircraft was quickly repaired for ferry flight to Yakutat for more complete repairs.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT IS A GUIDE AND WAS TRANSPORTING A BEAR HUNTER TO A HUNTING LOCATION ALONG THE BEACH. THE PILOT HAD SPOTTED A DEAD WHALE THAT HAD WASHED ONTO THE SHORE. THE WIND WAS GUSTING OVER 30 KNOTS, A CROSSWIND TO LANDING DIRECTION. PILOT LANDED HIGH ON THE SHORE. OFF AIRPORT LANDING. AFTER LANDING THE PILOT WAS TAXIING TO A PARKING SPOT TO OFF LOAD. SWIRLING WIND ENCOUNTERED, WIND DIRECTION CHANGED RAPIDLY 180 DEGREES. AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE WITH THE RAPID CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION. AS THE WIND MOVED FROM THE FRONT BACK TO THE SIDE THE LOST OF SUDDEN LIFT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO HIT WING TIP FIRST, THE IMPACT BROKE THE LANDING GEAR FOLLOWED BY PROP STRIKE. PILOT AND PASSENGER EXISTED THE AIRCRAFT UNHARMED. PILOT ESTIMATES WIND SPEEDS WERE GREATER THAN 40 KNOTS. AIRCRAFT TIED DOWN FOR OVER NIGHT STAY. HELICOPTER MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO TSIU LODGE. AIRCRAFT WAS QUICKLY REPAIRED FOR FERRY FLIGHT TO YAKUTAT FOR MORE COMPLETE REPAIRS.

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 ANC21LA099Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCordova, AKThe pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane after landing in gusty wind conditions.Sep 23, 2021 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N82448 · 2

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

Accident 20141008020179ALanding: Touchdown · Yakataga, AKDuring an off airport landing a strong gust of wind hit the right wing which lowered the left wing into brush which caused the the aircraft to spin around and the right wing then contacted trees and brush.Oct 8, 2014 · Substantial damage Accident 20110829019049ATakeoff: Climb Out · Cordova, AKOn August 29, 2011 at approximately 1600 hrs. Local time a Piper model PA-18 aircraft sustained substantial damage following a complete loss of engine power during take-off initial climb. The commercial rated pilot and passenger were not injured in the…Aug 29, 2011 · Substantial damage