- Date
- September 22, 1990, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Delta Junction, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2518APiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900922043359A
- Case key
- 5465
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's inadequate removal of snow and ice prior to takeoff.
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 had just flown through rain & snow before landing on the gravel strip. After about 5 minutes on the ground, he noticed that the rain & snow were freezing on the airplane's surfaces, which he wiped off before attempting the takeoff. After lift-off, the airplane would only climb to about 2 ft AGL. The right main gear hit a log during the aborted takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2518A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2148
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald E. Beck
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
- 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 750 total · 500 in this make and model · 750 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °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 N2518A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.