- Date
- September 27, 1990, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kotes Lakes, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3897ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900927042529A
- Case key
- 5464
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-in-command's encounter with turbulence while on final approach, and failure to maintain aircraft control.
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 stated that he was on approach to a gravel bar when he encountered a gust of wind and lost control of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3897Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 187788
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- James Richardson
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 6,500 total · 400 in this make and model · 6,300 as pilot in command · 350 in the last 90 days · 105 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °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 N3897Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.