- Date
- June 27, 2016, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4231ZPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160627023639A
- Case key
- 93600
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 an off-airport landing, which resulted in a collision with trees and a ground-loop.
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 landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, gravel covered, off-airport landing site adjacent to a river. Prior to landing, the pilot overflew the landing site multiple times at different altitudes for inspection. During the landing rollout the right wing struck tree branches, which resulted in a ground-loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage and left horizontal stabilizer. 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/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he would have increased his familiarization of off-airport operations, or selected a more suitable landing site.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, gravel covered, off-airport landing site adjacent to a river. Prior to landing, the pilot overflew the landing site multiple times at different altitudes for inspection. During the landing rollout the right wing struck tree branches, which resulted in a ground-loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage and left horizontal stabilizer. 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/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he would have increased his familiarization of off-airport operations, or selected a more suitable landing site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4231Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8457
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 2,897.4
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 2016
- Departed
- PALH · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Palmer, AK
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,229 total · 128 in this make and model · 860 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 17 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 658 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.