- Date
- August 22, 2001, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sparrevohn, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6949BPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03
- FAA report
- 20010822036389A
- Case key
- 53120
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. Factors in the accident were rough/uneven terrain, and an overload failure of the main landing gear landing strut.
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 private certificated pilot was landing in a remote area to go hunting. During the landing touchdown, the left main landing gear tire hit a hole. The left main landing gear strut fractured and the tire was pushed upward, into the left wing lift strut.
Factual narrative
On August 22, 2001, about 1000 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-22 airplane, N6949B, sustained substantial damage during a landing about 38 miles southwest of Sparrevohn, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 27, 2001, the pilot reported that he was landing in a remote area to go hunting. During the landing touchdown, the left main landing gear tire hit a hole. The left main landing gear strut fractured and the tire was pushed upward, into the left wing lift strut. The pilot said that he remained at the accident scene until August 24th, when a friend arrived with parts for the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6949B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4229
- Airframe hours
- 2,646
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald Wild
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 2001 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- Drift River, AK
- Destination
- Sparrevohn, 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- August 6, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 465 total · 361 in this make and model · 381 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N6949B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.