- Date
- August 5, 1992, 16:00 local (Aug 6, 1992, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7146KPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920805031509A
- Case key
- 5782
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 failed to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. Contributing factors were the unfavorable wind, the trees, and the fence.
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
After touchdown the airplane bounced and left the runway. The right wing hit some small trees, then the airplane ground looped into a chain link fence. A 15 to 40 mph gusty wind was reported by the pilot and witnesses. The pilot said a crosswind caused the airplane to leave the runway, however, two witnesses on the ground said the wind was 'straight down the runway'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7146K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-363
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard, Garry A.
- Registered owner
- Todd W. Dreka
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1992 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- Z16 · Wasilla, runway 5, 2,100 × 80 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
- 46
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 8,600 total · 100 in this make and model · 8,495 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.