# NTSB ANC10LA007: Piper PA-18-160, N1042A, Palmer, AK, November 3, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 3, 2009, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Palmer, AK - Coordinates: 61.183334, -148.666671 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.1833&lon=-148.6667&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 12, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA FSDO-03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 75041 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC10LA007 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75041/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75041 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10LA007 ## Probable cause The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-18-125, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=7101812), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Terrain: rough terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Piper PA-18-125, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md?model=7101812), [All aircraft, 442 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-18-125, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=7101812), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) ## Analysis The solo commercial pilot was taking off from a gravel bar on a personal local flight when the accident occurred. The pilot said that he was taking off from a gravel bar when the left main landing gear tire struck a rock before collapsing. The left wing then struck the ground, resulting in structural damage to the wing. According to the pilot there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB. ## Factual narrative On November 3, 2009, about 1600 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-18-160 airplane, N1042A, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from a gravel bar, about 40 miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The solo commercial pilot 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 November 10, the pilot said he was taking off from a gravel bar when the left main landing gear tire struck a rock, and the left main landing gear collapsed. He said when the landing gear collapsed, the left wing struck the ground, resulting in structural damage to the wing. He said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot did not submit an NTSB accident report form as requested. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1042A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1042A), registered now, S/N 18-616, built 1951 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-160 - Registry model: [Piper PA-18-125](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-125) (registry code 7101812) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-320-A2B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-a2b) (registry code 42101, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18-616 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Casey Long - Registered owner: Skyline Holdings Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: Palmer, AK - Destination: Palmer, AK - Flight plan: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; flight hours: 100 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,500 ft broken ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20091103051279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091103051279A), Nov 3, 2009: Piper PA-18-125, Palmer, AK, Substantial damage. According to the pilot, the aircraft hit a rock on take off which subsequently collapsed the aircrafts main landing gear causing substantial damage. The… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75041. 29 KB in all. - Record of Conversation - Pilot (item 1, .PDF, 29 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40332567&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Pilot-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.