- Date
- May 29, 1989, 21:20 local (May 30, 1989, 05:20 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N38582Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 5190
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilots failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during a touch and go landing which resulted in a ground loop.
Analysis
The pilot stated that after touchdown on the runway, he lost directional control of the airplane causing it to ground loop. The right wingtip and aileron were damaged.
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.
Loss of control - on ground/water
Touch-and-go - attemptedCause
Directional control - not maintainedCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/water
Ground loop/swerve - inadvertentCause
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38582
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 187629
- Airframe hours
- 1,337
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard E Mossall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1989 · 23 hours before
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill, runway 24, 3,999 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 276 total · 88 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg