- Date
- May 14, 2009, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N405THPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Taxi: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (Airworthiness)
- Case key
- 73851
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 clearance from a tree while taxiing.
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
The private pilot reported that after landing at an off-airport site at the conclusion of a personal flight, and while taxiing to parking, the airplane's left wing struck a small tree, damaging the wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that after landing at an off-airport site at the conclusion of a Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, and while taxiing to parking, the airplane's left wing struck a small tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N405TH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7509005
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Newgren Steven A
- Registered owner
- Newgren Steven A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2008 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- Kenai, 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 174 total · 14 in this make and model · 174 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 649 KB in all.