- Date
- October 24, 1990, 16:30 local (Oct 25, 1990, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1181YPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19901024047049A
- Case key
- 5506
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control on landing and the failure to select suitable terrain.
Analysis
During the landing on the gavel bar shortly after touchdown , the pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane then ground looped to the right. The left wing tip struck the ground.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1181Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 182144
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark Mechelis
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- NONE · Knit River, AK
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 600 in this make and model · 700 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 30 °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 N1181Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.