# Accident 20240708008169A: Piper PA-18-150, AK, July 8, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 8, 2024, 20:05 local time
- Place: AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 59.7268° N, 157.2603° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.7268&lon=-157.2603&mi=10
- Aircraft: N243AK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N243AK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,500 total, 300 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC24LA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA061) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240708008169A

## Narrative

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

AFTER SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS OF THIS TYPE AND AN ABORTED ONE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, THE PILOT AND FRIEND WERE SEARCHING FOR WILDLIFE AND OBSERVING THE TERRAIN WHEN THEY DECIDED TO LAND ON A PARTICULAR RIDGE-TOP COVERED WITH TUNDRA. THE WEATHER WAS HIGH OVERCAST, CLOUDS AT 5000 FEET AND VFR. THE PILOT HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, BUT DECIDED THAT DUE TO FAVORABLE INITIAL OBSERVATIONS BY PERFORMING SEVERAL FLYOVERS AND A ROLL-ON, THAT IT WAS SUITABLE FOR A FULL STOP, RIDGE-TOP LANDING. DURING THE SECOND ROLL-ON ATTEMPT, WITH THE AIRCRAFT CARRYING SPEED, THE AIRCRAFT HIT A ROUGH PATCH AND BOUNCED IN THE AIR AT WHICH TIME POWER WAS ADDED IN AN ATTEMPTED ABORT THE LANDING AND GO-AROUND BUT DUE TO THE LACK OF ENOUGH AIRSPEED, FAILED TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ALOFT. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND CAUSING THE LEFT GEAR TO COLLAPSE, ALLOWING THE LEFT WING TO CONTACT THE GROUND AND THE PLANE “CARTWHEELED” OVER ON ITS BACK COMING TO REST. NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED IN THE CRASH, AND BOTH EVACUATED SUCCESSFULLY.

THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED THAT HE WAS CARRYING TOO MUCH SPEED WHICH CAUSED HIM TO RUN OUT OF RIDGE-TOP SPACE, YET WHEN HIS LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE PERFORMING THE ROLL-ON, HE LOST SO MUCH SPEED THAT HE COULD NO LONGER CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT FOR A GO-AROUND AND PREVENT THE WING FROM CONTACTING THE GROUND.

## 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 ANC24LA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA061), Jul 9, 2024: Piper PA-18-150 (N243AK), Koliganek, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper landing flare and an improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a loss of directional control, and a subsequent nose over.

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.

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