- Date
- August 21, 1985, 19:00 local (Aug 22, 1985, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulkana, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N625SWPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850821042009A
- Case key
- 4549
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft crashed shortly after the plt had departed an airstrip to proceed on a hunting trip. Impact occurred in a wooded area about 1 mi from the strip. According to witnesses, the plt had made 2 low approaches over the trees before the acdnt. The acft was destroyed by impact with trees & the ground. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was evident. A toxicology check showed that the plt had a blood/alcohol level of 0.13%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N625SW
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 187613
- Airframe hours
- 1,834
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald E. Church
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 1985 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- C20
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,410 total · 500 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.