ANC01LA014

NTSB accident investigation · Aviat A-1 · Anchorage, AK · October 28, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 27, 2000, 17:50 local (Oct 28, 2000, 01:50 UTC)
Place
Anchorage, AK
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N33AVAviat A-1
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Status
Completed · report July 2, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
20001027041789A
Case key
50610

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 a bounced landing, and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. A factor in the accident was flat lighting conditions.

Analysis

The private certificated pilot was preparing to land on a gravel airstrip at dusk. The pilot said flat lighting conditions were present, and during the landing touchdown, the airplane bounced toward the right. She said she aborted the landing, added full power, and the airplane veered to the left while climbing. The airplane collided with a lighted wind indicator assembly, located along the left side of the airstrip, about halfway down the 2,200 feet long strip. The airplane received damage to the propeller, the left landing gear strut, the leading edge of the left wing, and a left wing rib. The pilot landed the airplane without further incident.

Factual narrative

On October 27, 2000, about 1750 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Aviat A-1 airplane, N33AV, sustained substantial damage after colliding with a wind direction assembly at the Lake Hood Strip, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Lake Hood Strip about 1515.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on November 8, 2000, the pilot reported that she was preparing to land on runway 31 at dusk. She said flat lighting conditions were present, and during the landing touchdown, the airplane bounced toward the right. She said she aborted the landing, added full power, and the airplane veered to the left while climbing. The airplane collided with a lighted wind indicator assembly, located along the left side of the airstrip, about halfway down the 2,200 feet long strip. The airplane received damage to the propeller, the left landing gear strut, the leading edge of the left wing, and a left wing rib. The pilot landed the airplane without further incident.

Aircraft

Registration
N33AV
Reported as
Aviat A-1
Category
Airplane
Serial number
1332
Airframe hours
247
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Sara A. Maurer
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 10, 2000 · 19 hours before
Departed
Z41
Airport
Z41 · Lake Hood Strip, runway 31, 2,200 × 70 ft, gravel

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
42
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Front
Flight hours
131 total · 56 in this make and model · 66 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Wind
Variable at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
34 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.