- Date
- August 16, 2011, 20:00 local (Aug 17, 2011, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Valdez, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N91134Piper PA-18-180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration Operations
- FAA report
- 20110816022019A
- Case key
- 81538
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 the proper approach path, which resulted in a runway undershoot.
Findings · 4
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 said he was attempting to land a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site, which was surrounded by higher terrain on all sides. Before beginning his approach, the pilot determined the wind conditions and then planned an approach into a 10-knot headwind. He said that, while on final approach to the site, he "side-slipped" the airplane to steepen the approach, and a sudden wind shift caused the airplane to descend faster than anticipated. He was unable to arrest the descent, and the airplane's main landing gear wheels collided with a mound about 150 feet short of the intended touchdown point. The airplane bounced as the pilot added engine power to cushion the landing, and as it touched down again, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot said he was attempting to land a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site, which was surrounded by higher terrain on all sides. Before beginning his approach, he determined the wind conditions, and then planned an approach into a 10-knot headwind. He said while on final approach to the site, he "side-slipped" the airplane to steepen the approach, and a sudden wind shift caused the airplane to descend faster than anticipated. He was unable to arrest the descent, and the airplane's main landing gear wheels collided with a mound about 150 feet short of the intended touchdown point. The airplane bounced as the pilot added engine power to cushion the landing, and as it touched down again, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91134
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8109074
- Airframe hours
- 1,059
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Erik F. Hursh
- Registered owner
- Erik F. Hursh
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 2011 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- Valdez, AK
- Destination
- Valdez, AK
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,137 total · 659 in this make and model · 1,078 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 417 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.