- Date
- June 10, 1989, 12:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Knik River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7291KPiper PA-18-100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890610015149A
- Case key
- 5196
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 failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain control of the airplane on the ground by proper use of the flight controls during gusting winds.
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 reported that during backtaxi for takeoff a gust of wind raised the tail and nosed the airplane over onto its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7291K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-100
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18203
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Castle
- Registered owner
- George Pappas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 1989
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 706 total · 341 in this make and model · 626 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.