- Date
- August 15, 2012, 14:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4001ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20120815018299A
- Case key
- 84678
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 loss of control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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 attempting to pick up a friend from a remote hunting camp. According to the pilot, after touching down and rolling out on a gravel bar in the middle of a nearby river, a gust of wind (estimated at 40 knots) from the quartering left rear flipped the airplane on its back. There was substantial damage to both wings, rudder, and the front portion of the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot was attempting to pick up a friend from a remote hunting camp, after being notified that a bear had eaten all his food three days earlier. According to the pilot, after touching down, and rolling out on a gravel bar in the middle of the River, a gust of wind (estimated 40 kts) from the quartering left rear, flipped the airplane on its back. There was substantial damage to both wings, rudder, and front portion of the fuselage. The solo pilot sustained minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4001Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7952
- Airframe hours
- 5,442
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Payne Ronald J II
- Registered owner
- Payne Ronald J II
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 2011
- Departed
- HRR · Healy, AK
- Destination
- Talkeetna, 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
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 21, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,600 total · 2,200 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 30 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 788 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.