- Date
- September 24, 2013, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1214APiper PA 18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20130924020989A
- Case key
- 88125
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 unsuitable terrain for landing, resulting in abnormal contact 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
During the landing roll on a gravel bar adjacent to a river, the airplane's right main landing gear contacted soft terrain. After contact with the soft terrain, the right main landing gear separated from the airframe and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During the landing roll on a gravel bar adjacent to a river, the airplane's right main landing gear contacted soft terrain. After contact with the soft terrain, the right main landing gear separated from the airframe and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1214A
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18 (105SPECIAL)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-828
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 3,870
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 2013
- Departed
- PATK · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- Big Lake, 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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 3 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 468 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.