- Date
- September 5, 1992, 11:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5106HPiper PA-14
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920905040769A
- Case key
- 5800
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
Pilot misjudged performance capability for tailwind condition considering aircraft load and terrain. Factors related to the accident were: terrain, takeoff airspeed not attained, aircraft performance, pilot overconfidence in aircraft and personal ability.
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 during takeoff from a 2500 ft elevation mountain ridge strip, the aircraft failed to reach flying speed, overran the strip and nosed over. The pilot reported that he attempted to make a down hill takeoff into wind estimated from nw at 25. Data developed by NWS from four locations around the accident site indicated wind to be consistently 10 KTS from the opposite direction. The pilot said he was a very expereinced air force F15 pilot, and believed the cause was 'windshear' as 'he had experienced very same thing in an F15 simulator on takeoff.' He indicated that he did not calculate takeoff data, but said he, 'knew all about the performance' of his airplane. The flight was reported to be the last flight out of the hunting strip, but the passenger, gear and equipment on board did not constitute an overloaded condition. He was unable to recall specific weights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5106H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-14
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-111
- Airframe hours
- 2,295
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Penny R. Nixon
- Registered owner
- Penny R. Nixon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1991 · 89 hours before
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,683 total · 222 in this make and model · 3,230 as pilot in command · 218 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKW, 48 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.
Other investigations on N5106H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.