- Date
- August 5, 2008, 16:00 local (Aug 6, 2008, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Nome, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7055Piper PA-18
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-FAI FSDO 01
- FAA report
- 20080805844059A
- Case key
- 68630
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 directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While performing wildlife enforcement duties, the private pilot was departing in a tundra-tire-equipped airplane from a remote gravel surface roadway. Ditches were located along each side of the road. The pilot indicated that during the takeoff roll, he glanced down to locate the flap handle, during which time the airplane drifted off the left side of the road. The left main landing gear tire encountered soft terrain in the ditch and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 2008, about 1600 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7055, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a ditch during the takeoff roll from a road, about 38 miles north of Nome, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area public use flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the State of Alaska, Department of Public Safety, Anchorage, Alaska. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, 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 August 6, the pilot reported that he landed on the Kougarok Road to perform wildlife enforcement duties, and was departing for a return flight to Nome. The road has a gravel/dirt surface, with ditches along each edge. The pilot indicated that during the takeoff roll, he glanced down to locate the flap handle, during which the airplane drifted off the left side of the road. The left main landing gear tire encountered soft terrain in the ditch, and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7055
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8916
- Airframe hours
- 8,237
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- State of Alaska
- Registered owner
- State of Alaska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 18, 2008 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- PAOM · Nome, 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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 523 total · 153 in this make and model · 481 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- 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.