- Date
- September 5, 1988, 16:00 local (Sep 6, 1988, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oshetna River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N234EPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 8, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19880905038419A
- Case key
- 5070
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 reported that he was attempting to takeoff from an extremely narrow and short stretch of land situated near a River. He had used this off-airport, unimproved site for several years without difficulty until the accident flight. On this occasion, the airplane hit a bump, became prematurely airborne and bounced hard on the right main gear. The gear collapsed, and the airplane received damage to the left wing. The pilot said that the accident may have been prevented had he elected to wait for a head wind prior to attempting the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18 6787
- Airframe hours
- 4,364
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Borders, Glenn A.
- Registered owner
- Borders, Glenn A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 28, 1988 · 7 hours before
- Destination
- Z15 · Chugiak, AK
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,118 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,046 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.