- Date
- September 7, 2009, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N54182Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Fairbanks FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20090907025869A
- Case key
- 74660
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
A tailwheel malfunction that limited directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion, and collision with a building.
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 airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that during the landing roll at a private airstrip, the airplane started drifting left. He said that right rudder and right brake did not correct the drift, and the airplane exited the runway in a left turn. The airplane struck a building adjacent to the runway with its right wing, and according to the pilot, received substantial damage to the leading edge and rear wing spar. The pilot indicated that an FAA certificated aviation mechanic who examined the airplane told him the tailwheel malfunctioned, and would not turn to the right. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that during the landing roll at a private airstrip, the airplane started drifting left. He said that right rudder and right brake did not correct the drift, and the airplane exited the runway in a left turn. The airplane struck a building adjacent to the runway with its right wing, and according to the pilot, received substantial damage to the leading edge and rear wing spar. The pilot indicated that an FAA certificated aviation mechanic who examined the airplane told him the tailwheel malfunctioned, and would not turn to the right. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54182
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7609043
- Airframe hours
- 1,073
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dalrymple Larry E
- Registered owner
- Dalrymple Larry E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 2009
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- xxx · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- xxx · Private, runway 06, 1,600 × 100 ft, dirt
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,250 total · 300 in this make and model · 2,250 as pilot in command · 15 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
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 26, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 962 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.