- Date
- May 26, 2007, 00:30 local (08:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4111ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20070526007809A
- Case key
- 65886
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 maintain altitude/clearance while maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with trees. A factor contributing to the accident was dusk lighting conditions.
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 reported that he arrived at his private cabin airstrip about 0030, and descended to about 200 feet msl, to parallel the strip at the conclusion of a Title 14, CFR Part 91, cross country personal flight. He said that at an airspeed of about 75 mph, he began a maneuvering right turn to check a cabin to the east of the strip, and encountered a downdraft. He applied full engine power, but the airplane continued to descend and collided with several spruce trees. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot said the wind conditions were light and variable. The pilot reported that the airplane did not have any mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
The private certificated pilot reported that he arrived at his private cabin airstrip about 0030, and descended to about 200 feet msl, to parallel the strip at the conclusion of a Title 14, CFR Part 91, cross country personal flight. He said that at an airspeed of about 75 mph, he began a maneuvering right turn to check a cabin to the east of the strip, and encountered a downdraft. He applied full engine power, but the airplane continued to descend and collided with several spruce trees. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot said the wind conditions were light and variable. The pilot reported that the airplane did not have any mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4111Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8153
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph G. Zapotosky
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- North Pole, AK
- Destination
- Fairbanks, 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °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 N4111Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.