- Date
- June 25, 2014, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cantwell, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N72842Piper PA 18
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Turbulence encounter
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FSDO - 03
- FAA report
- 20140625010419A
- Case key
- 89554
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 encounter with a wind gust during takeoff from a short gravel bar, which resulted in the airplane settling after rotation and striking obstacles.
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 taking off from a gravel bar in a tailwheel-equipped airplane with a load of light, bulky cargo items. The gravel bar was in a valley location surrounded by mountainous terrain. He said that the wind indicators along the strip favored the takeoff direction, which was the same direction he had used for landing earlier. He stated that all felt normal during the takeoff roll, but the airplane encountered "a gust from behind or above" upon rotation. The airplane subsequently settled back to the surface and struck brush near the end of strip, turned, and came to a stop across a small ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the aft section of the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, right after the accident, he observed that the wind became very gusty to about 20 mph. He noted that the wind condition returned to light and variable in less than an hour.
Factual narrative
The pilot was taking off from a gravel bar in a tailwheel-equipped airplane with a load of light, bulky cargo items. The gravel bar was in a valley location surrounded by mountainous terrain. He said that the wind indicators along the strip favored the takeoff direction, which was the same direction he had used for landing earlier. He stated that all felt normal during the takeoff roll, but the airplane encountered "a gust from behind or above" upon rotation. The airplane subsequently settled back to the surface and struck brush near the end of strip, turned, and came to a stop across a small ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the aft section of the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, right after the accident, he observed that the wind became very gusty to about 20 mph. He noted that the wind condition returned to light and variable in less than an hour.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72842
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-192
- Built
- 1950
- Airframe hours
- 6,481
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Sluice Box Inc, doing business as Gracious House Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Gratias-Rhoades Living Trust
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 2013
- Departed
- Cantwell, AK
- Destination
- Cantwell, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,115 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 8,115 as pilot in command · 0.5 in the last 90 days · 0.5 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.64 inHg
- Observed at
- PABI, 44 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 8, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 789 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.