- Date
- September 1, 2021, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Glennallen, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8987YPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- 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
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210901019619A
- Case key
- 104475
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 improper landing flare while landing off-airport with a tailwind.
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 before landing on an unimproved airstrip, he tried to identify the wind direction using a ribbon located at the high point along the airstrip that was above the treetops. He also over flew the airstrip both ways at about 1,500 ft to verify what the ribbon was showing. During the landing, the airplane was not aligned with the airstrip, and the left main landing gear touched down first, which imposed a significate side load to the left main landing gear assembly. After the landing, the pilot noticed that he had landed with a quartering tailwind. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right-wing rear spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8987Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7409132
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 2,199.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 13, 2020
- Departed
- PAQ · Palmer, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 588.5 total · 588.5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- PAZK, 27 nm away
- METAR
- PAZK 012256Z AUTO 06004KT 10SM SCT080 OVC090 12/02 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP113 T01170022
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.
Other investigations on N8987Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.