- Date
- July 2, 1990, 18:15 local (Jul 3, 1990, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gakona, AK
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4878APiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900702023459A
- Case key
- 5398
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 inadvertently stalled the airplane.
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
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane perform what appeared to be a normal takeoff. At approximately 150 feet, the airplane made a steep, climbing let turn. The left wing dropped suddenly, quickly followed by the nose. The airplane subsequently struck the ground with a steep nose down pitch attitude. The witnesses said that the engine sounded like it ws developing full power throughout the takeoff and all the way to impact. An inspection of the engine and airframe disclosed no apparent mechanical problems or anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4878A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 184977
- Airframe hours
- 2,584
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregory J. Boyd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 1989 · 52 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Gakona, runway 6, 3,000 × 50 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,230 total · 480 in this make and model · 1,149 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N4878A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.