- Date
- August 31, 1992, 21:08 local (Sep 1, 1992, 05:08 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4493ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920831034109A
- Case key
- 5648
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
Misjudgment by the pilot to insure adequate distance from objects in the takeoff area, which resulted in damage to the main landing gear on takeoff, and the uncontrolled ground loop by the pilot during a landing with the damaged landing gear. Factors related to the accident were the stump or log obstructing the takeoff area, and the distortion to the landing gear following the takeoff at the remote location.
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 of the PA-18 equipped with balloon tires struck a stump or other object prior to becoming airborne at a remote strip. After striking the object, the pilot became airborne, assessed damaged to the landing gear and continued the flight to Anchorage international airport. Upon touchdown the pilot lost control and the aircraft swerved in the direction of the damaged main gear and nosed over on landing roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4493Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8847
- Airframe hours
- 1,511
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gates, George F.
- Registered owner
- Mary Gates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 14, 1992 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- ENA · Trading Bay, AK
- Airport
- ANC · Anchorage International, runway 24, 10,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,938 total · 1,038 in this make and model · 1,892 as pilot in command · 56.9 in the last 90 days · 17.3 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.