# NTSB ANC04LA002: Piper PA-18-150, N3573P, Ketchikan, AK, October 11, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 11, 2003, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Ketchikan, AK - Coordinates: 55.355556, -131.713882 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=55.3556&lon=-131.7139&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Juneau FSDO-05 - NTSB case key (mKey): 58162 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04LA002 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58162/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA002 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed after an aborted landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and a ground loop. A factor contributing to the accident was the loss of directional control on the ground. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Loss of control - in flight, landing - aborted - airspeed(vs) - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground - ground loop/swerve - inadvertent, pilot in command ## Analysis The private pilot was practicing touch and go landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported he lost directional control during a wheel landing, and he applied full power in an attempt to regain control, but the airplane lifted off steeply and stalled. The airplane subsequently descended off the right side of the runway and ground looped, receiving structural damage to the landing gear, right wing, and fuselage. ## Factual narrative On October 11, 2003, about 1230 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N3573P, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control during an aborted landing and subsequent ground loop at the Ketchikan Airport, Ketchikan, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 21, the FAA inspector who interviewed the pilot said the pilot was performing touch-and-go landings. He said the pilot told him the airplane landed hard and bounced, and he applied power to abort the landing, but the airplane stalled, settled off the right side of the runway, and ground looped. The inspector said the airplane sustained structural damage to the landing gear, right wing, and fuselage. In a telephone conversation with the IIC on January 21, 2004, and in a written statement provided by the pilot dated February 25, 2004, the pilot said he was practicing wheel landings when he lost directional control of the airplane after touchdown. He said he applied full power to regain directional control, but the airplane lifted off too steeply, and stalled to the right. The pilot said after touching down the second time, the airplane ground looped. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3573P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3573P), registered now, S/N 18-4527, built 1955 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-18-150 - Registry model: [Piper PA-18A 150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18a-150) (registry code 7101837) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18-4527 - Airframe hours: 3391 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2003, 30 hours before - Departed: PAKT, Ketchikan, AK - Airport: PAKT, Ketchikan International, runway 29, 7,500 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review March 11, 2003; seat: front; flight hours: 64 total, 13 in this make and model, 29 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 29.52 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20031011026589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031011026589A), Oct 11, 2003: Piper PA18A150, Ketchikan, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) While practicing landing in the pattern aircraft veered to the right at touchdown. Pilot overcorrected then tried to initiate a go-around. Aircraft… ## Other investigations on N3573P (2) 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 ANC11CA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC11CA020), Mar 19, 2011: Piper PA-18A 150 (N3573P), Beluga Lake, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to land on unsuitable terrain, resulting in the airplane nosing over. - [NTSB ANC74DAG41](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC74DAG41), Sep 2, 1973: Piper PA-18 (N3573P), Kenai, AK, substantial damage 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.