- Date
- April 17, 1988, 15:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4177ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19880417009319A
- Case key
- 4947
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-in-command was a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic who was working on the airplane. The owner stated that the mechanic was not authorized to fly the airplane. The pilot's brother stated he had just disembarked from the airplane after a short flight. He watched the takeoff and said that the airplane lifted off abruptly and almost struck a metal marking stake. He said the airplane climbed briefly, then entered a steep right bank then the airplane's nose fell and the airplane crashed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4177Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8355
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edwin P Depriest, doing business as 430 N. Gulkana
- Registered owner
- Steve M. Norton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- Farm Field
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 280 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAQ
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 N4177Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.