- Date
- June 13, 2000, 23:30 local (Jun 14, 2000, 07:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9963QPiper PA-18-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20000614042709A
- Case key
- 50968
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor associated in the accident was a variable wind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated airline transport pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings on a remote sand bar. He stated that during his fifth landing, just prior to touchdown, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the left wing struck the ground. He said that as the airplane pivoted 45 degrees to the left, the right main landing gear struck the ground and collapsed. The right wing sustained substantial damage to the main spar.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 2000, about 2330 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18-160 airplane, N9963Q, sustained substantial damage while landing at an off airport site, about 20 miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska, at 61 degrees 07 minutes north latitude, 148 degrees 43 minutes west longitude. The solo certificated airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 2200, from the Sky Ranch Airstrip, Palmer, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on June 14, the pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings on a remote sand bar. He said that during his fifth landing, just prior to touchdown, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane pivoted 45 degrees to the left, the right main landing gear struck the ground and collapsed. The right wing sustained substantial damage to the main spar.
The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9963Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3950
- Airframe hours
- 2,873
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Darrell D. Jelle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 4, 1999 · 187 hours before
- Departed
- AK50 · Sky Ranch, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 13,600 total · 180 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9963Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.