- Date
- July 21, 2015, 20:00 local (Jul 22, 2015, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N323DHPiper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150721017119A
- Case key
- 91619
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 compensation for wind conditions, and improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
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 reported he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, vegetation covered, off-airport site. The pilot said that during the approach, just prior to touchdown the airplane encountered a wind shift and increase in wind speed, resulting in a strong downdraft. The pilot applied full power in an effort to correct for the downdraft, but the airplane touched down much harder than anticipated and bounced, rotating 90 degrees before impacting a berm and nosing down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left 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 reported he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, vegetation covered, off-airport site. The pilot said that during the approach, just prior to touchdown the airplane encountered a wind shift and increase in wind speed, resulting in a strong downdraft. The pilot applied full power in an effort to correct for the downdraft, but the airplane touched down much harder than anticipated and bounced, rotating 90 degrees before impacting a berm and nosing down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N323DH
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7939
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 4,344
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 2015
- Departed
- Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- Talkeetna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 20,600 total · 2,150 in this make and model · 19,550 as pilot in command · 266 in the last 90 days · 154 in the last 30 days · 6.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 472 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 N323DH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.