- Date
- December 24, 2024, 16:00 local (Dec 25, 2024, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK · Open field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3802ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- Case key
- 199467
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 airspeed management which resulted in a bounced landing and insufficient airspeed to perform a go around procedure.
Findings · 5
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 he was landing in an open field with a raised driveway that crossed the landing surface. The driveway was about two feet higher than the landing surface. The airplane was landing into a left quartering headwind that was about 15 to 20 mph. The pilot said he was planning to touchdown just after the driveway, but just prior to reaching the driveway the airplane lost the headwind and descended. The airplane touched down prior to the driveway and it bounced when it crossed over the raised driveway. The pilot attempted to go around, but did not have sufficient airspeed. The pilot then continued the landing and the airplane’s right lift strut impacted a parked car, and a trailer, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing lift struts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3802Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7535
- Built
- 1960
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 16, 2024
- Departed
- PAWS · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- None
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,500 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 28.84 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 3 nm away
- METAR
- PAAQ 250053Z 36009KT 10SM CLR M01/M07 A2884 RMK AO2 SLP771 T10061072 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.
Other investigations on N3802Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.