- Date
- September 4, 2009, 19:00 local (Sep 5, 2009, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5773DPiper PA-18
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration (Operations)
- FAA report
- 20090905049399A
- Case key
- 74705
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 decision to land on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a loss of control and a collision with trees.
Findings · 5
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 he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a soft, rough and uneven gravel runway at the conclusion of a local personal flight operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. He said immediately upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the right, and the right wing struck trees, which pivoted the airplane 180 degrees to the right. The left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. In his written report to the NTSB the pilot noted that the accident might have been avoided if he had landed on the first part of the airstrip where the runway was wider.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a soft, rough and uneven gravel runway at the conclusion of a local personal flight operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. He said immediately upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the right, and the right wing struck trees, which pivoted the airplane 180 degrees to the right. The left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. In his written report to the NTSB the pilot noted that the accident might have been avoided if he had landed on the first part of the airstrip where the runway was wider.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5773D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5275
- Airframe hours
- 4,423
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jeffrey W. Croll
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey W. Croll
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 2009 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- AK7 · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- AK7 · Gold King Creek Airport, runway 27, 2,558 × 100 ft, gravel
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,480 total · 680 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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. 608 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.
Other investigations on N5773D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.