- Date
- March 8, 2015, 11:59 local (19:59 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5348TPiper PA18 - 150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20150308003019A
- Case key
- 90867
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff from an icy surface in gusty wind conditions.
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 in his tundra tire equipped airplane on a private, ice-covered, gravel runway. He stated that during the takeoff roll ruts in the ground caused him to lose control of the airplane. The airplane struck a snow berm and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was taking off in his tundra tire equipped airplane on a private, ice-covered, gravel runway. He stated that during the takeoff roll ruts in the ground caused him to lose control of the airplane. The airplane struck a snow berm and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5348T
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 - 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8009009
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 1,290
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-a2b, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Toby Ashley
- Registered owner
- Toby Ashley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 2014
- Departed
- 21AK · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- pafa · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- 21AK · Montana Creek, runway 34, 2,300 × 50 ft, ice
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 18, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,380 total · 2,012 in this make and model · 3,300 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- patk, 9 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.