- Date
- September 2, 2022, 21:00 local (Sep 3, 2022, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK · Off airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N119CCPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- 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
- 20220902015249A
- Case key
- 105870
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 centerline in dusk light conditions which resulted in impact with trees.
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 takeoff, in dusk light conditions he was not able to see the side tree line of the runway. The airplane traveled off center line of the runway, and subsequently impacted trees and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, wing lift struts, 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N119CC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7409126
- Built
- 1974
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 30, 2021 · 35 hours before
- Destination
- PAFA · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- PVT · Remote Airstrip
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- April 21, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.25 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEI, 31 nm away
- METAR
- PAEI 030540Z AUTO 14008KT 10SM SCT055 OVC080 11/08 A2925 RMK AO2 SLP910 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.