- Date
- April 8, 1990, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64RSPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900408007639A
- Case key
- 5289
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 lost directional control during the landing roll as a result of improper braking.
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
While landing with a ten knot crosswind, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane and ground looped. The left main landing gear then collapsed, and the left wing hit the runway. He blamed the loss of control on the unequal application of brakes. The airplane was equipped with 29 inch over sized tires. Laboratory examination revealed that welds on the landing gear failed prematurely as a result of overstress and improper welding techniques.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64RS
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6078
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John M. Edwards
- Registered owner
- John M Edwards
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Z40 · Goose Bay, AK
- Airport
- Z15 · Birchwood, runway 19, 4,010 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 15 in this make and model · 1,250 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 90 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FRN, 15 nm away
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 N64RS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.