- Date
- September 2, 1996, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gakona, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7669DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960902025939A
- Case key
- 2895
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's inadequate compensation for gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent collision with trees/brush. Factors relating to the accident were: the crosswind and wind gusts.
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 he was landing his 'Tundra' tire equipped airplane on a turf airstrip in gusty crosswind conditions. During the landing roll, a gust of wind veered the airplane to the right. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane went off the airstrip and collided with trees and brush.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 1996, about 1300 Alaska daylight time, a "Tundra" tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7669D, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Chistochina airstrip, which is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Gakona, Alaska. The private certificated pilot and the sole passenger aboard were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight last departed a rural "bush" airstrip near Mankomen Lake, about 1240, and the destination was Chistochina.
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on September 4, 1996, the pilot stated he was attempting to land on runway 01 in gusty winds. He said the airplane initially bounced on landing, and he added power and touched down again. While rolling out after the second touchdown, he said a crosswind gust caused the airplane to veer to the right. He was unable to control the airplane, and it went off the runway and collided with the bordering trees and brush.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7669D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5939
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Larry R. Scribner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- Mankomen Lake, AK
- Airport
- CZO · Chistochina, runway 1, 2,060 × 90 ft, grass/turf
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,057 total · 1,564 in this make and model · 2,057 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
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 N7669D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.