- Date
- August 7, 1993, 13:32 local (21:32 UTC)
- Place
- Northway, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4485APiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930807031209A
- Case key
- 2396
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control on touchdown. A factor in the accident was the gusty crosswind conditions.
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
Commercial pilot of supercub equipped with 29 inch balloon tires lost directional control of airplane on landing in gusty crosswind conditions. Airplane collided with trees along side runway.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 1993, at 1332 Alaska daylight time, the commercial pilot of a tundra-tire-equipped Piper PA-18 Supercub airplane, N4485A, lost control on landing and struck trees at the edge of the runway. The accident occurred at Northway, Alaska following a personal flight which had originated at 1200 at Gulkana. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot, as sole occupant was not injured, however the airplane was substantially damaged.
The pilot told investigators that gusty crosswinds "picked up his wing," and the airplane hit the trees on the edge of the runway. He said that the airplane had been operating normally, and that it was equipped with 29 inch GAR-AERO balloon tires.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4485A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4850
- Airframe hours
- 3,150
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gaunt, Galen
- Registered owner
- Galen B. Gaunt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 27, 1993 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- GKN · Gulkana, AK
- Destination
- ORT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ORT · Northway, runway 22, 5,100 × 100 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,004 total · 550 in this make and model · 2,751 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORT
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 N4485A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.