- Date
- August 6, 2011, 23:00 local (Aug 7, 2011, 07:00 UTC)
- Place
- Coldfoot, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N762LAPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Fairbanks FSDO
- Case key
- 81434
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 inadequate directional control of the airplane during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue.
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 operator stated that the pilot was departing from a small remote airstrip. Just after lifting off, the airplane drifted to the right, and the right wing contacted brush on the side of the airstrip, causing the airplane to spin to the right and flip over. The empennage and wings sustained substantial damage. The operator said that the flight was at the end of the day, and that the pilot was very fatigued.
Factual narrative
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the operator stated that the pilot was departing from a small remote airstrip. Just after lifting off, the airplane drifted to the right, and the right wing contacted brush on the side of the airstrip, causing it to spin to the right and flip over. He said that the flight was at the end of the day, and that the pilot was very fatigued. The empennage and wings sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N762LA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7873
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Scenic Mountain Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Scenic Mountain Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Coldfoot, AK
- Destination
- Coldfoot, AK
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 52 KB in all.