- Date
- May 15, 2020, 16:25 local (May 16, 2020, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N323DHPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20200515000919A
- Case key
- 101285
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, which resulted in 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 the tailwheel and tundra tire-equipped airplane on a gravel surfaced runway. After touchdown, the airplane veered right and the pilot applied left rudder and left brake, but the airplane continued and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator and left wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if she had been more proficient in the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N323DH
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7939
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 4,441
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 2020
- Departed
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- Destination
- SKW · Skwentna, AK
- Airport
- SKW · Skwentna, runway 10, 3,400 × 75 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,848.5 total · 12.6 in this make and model · 248.6 as pilot in command · 46.2 in the last 90 days · 12.6 in the last 30 days · 3.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 660 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.