- Date
- April 3, 2005, 17:00 local (Apr 4, 2005, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9091DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050403007699A
- Case key
- 61253
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 failure to compensate for a crosswind during an aborted landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control. A factor associated with the accident was a crosswind.
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 pilot reported he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on runway 36, which required a correction for a left crosswind. During the landing touchdown, the airplane bounced slightly and settled onto the right main tire. He said he attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane went off the runway, and ground looped to the right. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. A weather observation taken at the time of the accident consisted of: Sky conditions and ceiling, 1,500 feet scattered; visibility, 10 statute miles; wind, 320 degrees (magnetic) at 11 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 3, 2005, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N9091D, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Bethel Airport, Bethel, 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 solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the McGrath Airport, McGrath, Alaska, about 1354.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on April 14, the pilot reported that he was landing on runway 36, which required a correction for a slight left crosswind. The pilot stated that as the airplane touched down on the runway, it bounced slightly and settled onto the right main tire, and the airplane veered to the right. He said he attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane went off the runway, and ground looped to the right. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Bethel Airport weather observation at the time of the accident consisted of: Sky conditions and ceiling, 1,500 feet scattered; visibility, 10 statute miles; wind, 320 degrees (magnetic) at 11 knots.
In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, dated May 17, 2005, the pilot wrote: "Given to Kenai flight service station. No further recollection."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9091D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6469
- Airframe hours
- 3,907
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul D. Tony
- Registered owner
- Paul D. Tony
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2004
- Departed
- MCG · McGrath, AK
- Destination
- BET · Bethel, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- BET · Bethel, runway 36, 6,398 × 150 ft
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 1 °F, dew point -6 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.62 inHg
- Observed at
- BET
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 N9091D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.