- Date
- September 17, 1987, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sparrevohn, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7051Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 4923
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 pilot of the airplane was an Alaska state trooper performing his official duties and was flying an airplane owned and operated by the state of Alaska. He had landed on a remote ridge top to recover essential items of evidence for a pending case. Upon departure from the ridge, rough terrain prematurely bounced the airplane into the air and the pilot was unable to gain sufficient airspeed to remain airborne or climb. The airplane struck a small tree and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7051
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2932
- Airframe hours
- 8,697
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- State Of Alaska
- Registered owner
- State Of Alaska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 31, 1987 · 236 hours before
- Destination
- MCG · Mc Grath, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,660 total · 936 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Other investigations on N7051 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.