- Date
- April 18, 1997, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Nikiski, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N92793Piper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970418006249A
- Case key
- 2986
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 improper installation of the landing gear wheel.
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 solo student pilot was practicing takeoff and landings in his airplane. The airplane had previously been equipped with fixed skis. The pilot removed the skis, and replaced them with large tundra tires. The pilot landed at an intermediate airport, and attempted to turn the airplane to the left in preparation for departure. The airplane was hard to turn, and the pilot got out of the airplane and physically moved the tail around to position the airplane for takeoff. After liftoff, the pilot noticed the left wheel and tire fall off the axle. He continued to his destination and landed on a gravel runway at a private airstrip. After touchdown, the right main gear collapsed, folding under the wheel. The airplane received damage to the main landing gear, the right wing spar, and right wing lift struts. An inspection of the airplane revealed the left wheel axle retaining nut was missing.
Factual narrative
On April 18, 1997, at 1400 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-12, N92793, crashed during landing at Nikiski, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Kasilof, Alaska, at 1330.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported the airplane had previously been equipped with fixed skis. The pilot removed the skis, and replaced them with large tundra tires. The pilot was practicing takeoff and landings. He landed at Kasilof, and attempted to turn the airplane to the left in preparation for departure. The airplane was hard to turn, and the pilot got out of the airplane, and physically moved the tail around to position the airplane for takeoff. After liftoff, the pilot noticed the left wheel and tire fall off the axle. The pilot continued to his destination and landed on a private airstrip, known as McGahan Industrial Airpark, located about 1 mile southwest of Nikiski. The pilot touched down on the gravel runway, and the right main gear collapsed, folding under the wheel. The airplane received damage to the main landing gear, the right wing spar, and right wing lift struts.
An inspection of the airplane by the FAA revealed the left wheel axle retaining nut was missing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92793
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-239
- Airframe hours
- 4,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James R. Heazlett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 1996 · 140 hours before
- Departed
- 5KS · Kasilof, AK
- Destination
- AK73
- Airport
- AK73 · Mcgahan Industrial, runway 6, 4,000 × 150 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °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 N92793 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.