- Date
- August 25, 2018, 14:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5392YPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20180825022299A
- Case key
- 98189
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 directional control during the landing roll when the left main landing gear wheel got caught in a ditch, which resulted in a subsequent nose-over.
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 that, during the landing roll on a private grass airstrip, the left main landing gear wheel became caught in the ditch that was obscured by long grass along the edge of the runway. He subsequently lost directional control, and the airplane rolled into the ditch and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll at a private grass airstrip in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the left main landing gear wheel descended into a ditch that was obscured in long grass along the edge of the runway. He subsequently lost directional control, and the airplane veered left into the ditch and nosed over, causing substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5392Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8145
- Built
- 1964
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- Destination
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- Airport
- 5AK5 · Todds Strip, runway 07, 1,500 × 60 ft, gravel
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
- 79
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 6,400 total · 6,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 6 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 28, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.2 MB 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.