- Date
- August 21, 2001, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glennallen, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2871PPiper PA-18-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 3, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010821038589A
- Case key
- 53220
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 during takeoff. A factor associated with 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 commerical pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing on runway 32. During the initial climb, about four feet above the runway, the wind increased to an estimated 25 to 30 knots from northeast, and pushed the nose of the airplane 90 degrees to the right. The right wing subsequently struck a stand of trees, pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. At the time of the accident the wind was reported as 010 degrees at 15 knots, with gusts to 22 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 2001, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18-180 airplane, N2871P, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from the Gulkana Airport, located about 6 miles south of Glennallen, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated commercial pilot, and the one passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the accident airport, and was en route to Northway, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on August 21, the pilot reported that just after takeoff on runway 32, about four feet above the runway, the wind increased to an estimated 25 to 30 knots from the northeast, which pushed the nose of the airplane 90 degrees to the right. The airplane veered to the right of the runway centerline, and the right wing struck a stand of trees. The airplane pivoted to the right, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
Gulkana Airport weather observation at the time of the accident was: Wind, 010 degrees at 15 knots, gusts to 22 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 1,000 feet scattered, 1,600 feet broken; temperature, 69 degrees F; dew point, 44 degrees F; altimeter, 29.51 inHg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2871P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4461
- Airframe hours
- 6,303
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eugenie M. Bryant
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 13, 2000 · 430 hours before
- Departed
- GKN · Glennallen, AK
- Destination
- ORT · Northway, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GKN · Gulkana, runway 32, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- November 24, 2000
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 16,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.51 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.