- Date
- May 4, 2014, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N64518Taylorcraft BC12 D
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140504005849A
- Case key
- 89171
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 weather evaluation, which resulted in a turbulence encounter at low altitude and collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of knowledge of local wind conditions.
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 was departing from a private grass airstrip in his tailwheel equipped airplane. He stated that there was a slight breeze out of the north. As the airplane climbed above the tree line he encountered a rotor and downdraft and was unable to continue climbing. He elected to set the airplane in an area of trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wing lift struts. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident Reporting Form 6120.1, he also stated that he had just started flying from the airstrip, and was not familiar with the local conditions. After the accident, he learned that there is often a wind shift/rotor that occurs near the tree line at the midfield point of the airstrip.
Factual narrative
The pilot was departing from a private grass airstrip in his tailwheel equipped airplane. He stated that there was a slight breeze out of the north. As the airplane climbed above the tree line he encountered a rotor and downdraft and was unable to continue climbing. He elected to set the airplane in an area of trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wing lift struts. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident Reporting Form 6120.1, he also stated that he had just started flying from the airstrip, and was not familiar with the local conditions. After the accident, he learned that there is often a wind shift/rotor that occurs near the tree line at the midfield point of the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64518
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12 D (D)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6913
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,454
- Engine
- Contental O200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2014 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- 6AK8 · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- 6AK8 · Tulakes, runway 36, 1,200 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 18, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 373.2 total · 289.7 in this make and model · 299.1 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 5 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 719 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.
Other investigations on N64518 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.