- Date
- September 17, 2009, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tok, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N874SCPiper PA-18-180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (Airworthiness)
- FAA report
- 20090917049689A
- Case key
- 74760
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 selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff area, resulting in a runway excursion and a nose over during takeoff.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that he was departing from a rough, 700-foot-long, dirt-covered off-airport site with a load of Caribou meat, on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll the airplane did not become airborne before reaching the end of the site, and the main wheels struck a pool of water at the departure end. The airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that the accident might have been avoided if he had weighed the meat before takeoff.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was departing from a rough, 700-foot-long dirt-covered off-airport site with a load of Caribou meat, on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll the airplane did not become airborne before reaching the end of the site, and the main wheels struck a pool of water at the departure end. The airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that the accident might have been avoided if he had weighed the meat before takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N874SC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7409112
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kim B Wright
- Registered owner
- Kim B Wright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 31, 2009
- Departed
- Tok, AK
- Destination
- 6K8 · Tok, AK
- Airport
- runway 18, 700 × 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 12, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 100 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 610 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.