- Date
- June 1, 2020, 20:20 local (Jun 2, 2020, 04:20 UTC)
- Place
- Nikiski, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8987YPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- 20200602007559A
- Case key
- 101377
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 landing in gusting wind conditions, 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 remote unimproved airstrip. While on final approach and just before touchdown, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. The left wing contacted alder brush and the airplane veered to the left and ground looped sustaining substantial damage to the right 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 he had waited for a day without gusting wind conditions.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing the tailwheel and tundra tire-equipped airplane on a remote unimproved airstrip. While on final approach and just before touchdown, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. The left wing contacted alder brush and the airplane veered to the left and ground looped sustaining substantial damage to the right 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 he had waited for a day without gusting wind conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8987Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7409132
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 2,028.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 14, 2019
- Departed
- PASX · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- Nikiski, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 525.2 total · 525.2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.54 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.5 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.
Other investigations on N8987Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.