- Date
- August 4, 1989, 19:30 local (Aug 5, 1989, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kodiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8726RPiper J3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890804030379A
- Case key
- 5235
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 pilot failed to maintain directional control and inadvertently allowed the aircraft to ground loop.
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 departed Kodiak state airport on a local flight to miller field (an unmaintained, closed, gravel strip). While landing in calm wind conditions, he lost control of the aircraft. Subsequently, it ground looped, a wing hit the ground, and the aircraft was damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8726R
- Reported as
- Piper J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17314
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Kodiak, AK
- Airport
- NONE · Miller Field, runway 36, 5,000 × ft, gravel
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 197 total · 35 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.