- Date
- September 6, 1991, 16:00 local (Sep 7, 1991, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Noatak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2KAPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910906038879A
- Case key
- 5618
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 pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate. Contributing to the accident was the gust of tailwind.
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 reported that he encountered a gust of tailwind while on short final approach to a gravel bar. The application of full power failed to arrest the rate of descent. The airplane's landing gear struck some bushes then landed hard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2KA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809116
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lofstedt, Vernon L., Sr.
- Registered owner
- Vernon L. Lofstedt Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 30,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.