- Date
- July 6, 2012, 12:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N623JEPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120706013389A
- Case key
- 84252
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 off-airport landing site, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing roll.
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 pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site when the left main landing gear hit a hole and the airplane ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site when the left main landing gear hit a hole, and the airplane ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with airplane. The pilot provided a written statement of events, but did not fill out the National Transportation Safety Board Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N623JE
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8272
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Skwentna, AK
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 1,700 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 37 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 63 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.