- Date
- September 30, 1989, 11:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Iliamna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7513KPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890930040699A
- Case key
- 5272
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's overconfidence in himself and the aircraft, and the strong/gusty wind conditions.
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 experienced commercial pilot had just landed at a remote gravel airstrip with strong, gusty winds. Following the landing roll, he attempted to taxi crosswind in the 35 to 40 knot wind. He said that a strong gust lifted a wing, then pushed & partially overturned the airplane into nearby trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7513K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-225
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald E. Knighton
- Departed
- ILI · Iliamna, AK
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 35 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- 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.
Other investigations on N7513K · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.