- Date
- May 29, 2023, 08:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4488ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after 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
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230529005879A
- Case key
- 192272
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 with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a water loop and impact with terrain.
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 approach in a float-equipped airplane, she encountered a strong gust of wind and the airspeed decreased, so she increased engine power. Before touchdown, she felt the airspeed was too fast, she selected full flaps and reduced engine power. The airplane veered left, and the pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder and increased engine power; however, the airplane water looped to the left and impacted a riverbank, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot landed the airplane with a right quartering tailwind. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4488Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8843
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 5,351.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alaska Tailwheel LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 19, 2023 · 68.5 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 2Z5 · Chena River Seaplane Base, runway 090, 3,000 × 300 ft, water
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,960.9 total · 34.5 in this make and model · 1,441.1 as pilot in command · 4.4 in the last 90 days · 4.4 in the last 30 days · 0.7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.49 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- PAFA, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PAFA 291653Z 23010KT 4SM -RA BR BKN012 OVC019 09/07 A2949 RMK AO2 SLP993 P0000 T00890067 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 25.6 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 N4488Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.