- Date
- September 16, 1996, 17:00 local (Sep 17, 1996, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kotzebue, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3086ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960916028589A
- Case key
- 2909
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 selection of an unsuitable landing area. A factor in the accident was the soft terrain.
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 landed the airplane on the gravel bar and during the landing roll the right wheel hit a soft spot in the gravel bar. The airplane veered to the right and dragged the left wing and left elevator
Factual narrative
On September 16, 1996, at 1700 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N3086Z, registered to and operated by the pilot, dragged the left wing during the landing at an off airport site located at geographic coordinates 67 degrees, 52 minutes north and 163 degrees, 43 minutes west. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed a field site in the area and the destination was the gravel bar on which the airplane dragged its wing. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
According to the pilot, he landed on the gravel bar and during the landing roll the right wheel hit a soft spot in the gravel bar. The airplane veered to the right and dragged the left wing and left elevator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3086Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7437
- Airframe hours
- 2,975
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A28, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henry C. Clark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 1996 · 107 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,260 total · 3,210 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 99 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °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 N3086Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.