- Date
- August 4, 1991, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4448ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910804031559A
- Case key
- 5592
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
Was the in-flight collision of the airplane with an object due to the pilot-in-command's lack of an adequate visual lookout. Contributing to the accident was the rough, uneven and narrow condition of the airstrip.
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-in-command stated he was making a low pass over the intended landing area when his left wing struck some alder bushes. The airplane veered left and he elected to land immediately instead of making a go around. After landing and during the roll out the left wing struck some more bushes/trees and veered off the left side of the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4448Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8795
- Airframe hours
- 2,640
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael Grow
- Registered owner
- Michael Grow
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 25, 1991 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- PAQ · Palmer, AK
- Destination
- NONE · Deshka River, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- NONE · Deshka River, runway 18, 700 × 30 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,200 total · 650 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N4448Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.