- Date
- July 13, 2011, 09:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cordova, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9255DPiper PA-18A 150
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20110713015039A
- Case key
- 81098
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 sufficient airspeed during approach, resulting in an aerodynamic stall, and collision with terrain.
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 solo private pilot was practicing touch-and-go takeoff and landings at his home airport. He reported that during the third landing, his approach was not stable, and he should have gone around. As he extended his approach down the runway, the airplane stalled, the left wing dropped, and the airplane came to rest in the brush on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing when it impacted the ground. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The solo private pilot was practicing touch and go takeoff and landings at his home airport. He reported that on the third landing, his approach was not stable, and he should have gone around. He said as he extended his approach down the runway the airplane stalled, the left wing dropped, and the airplane came to rest in the brush on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing when it hit the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9255D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6548
- Airframe hours
- 5,043
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lynn Mallory
- Registered owner
- Lynn Mallory
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 28, 2011
- Departed
- PACV · Cordova, AK
- Destination
- PACV · Cordova, AK
- Airport
- PACV · Merle K Smith, runway 16, 1,899 × 30 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 23, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 25 in this make and model · 41 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 18, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 583 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 N9255D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.