- Date
- April 30, 1997, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dillingahm, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4076MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970430007379A
- Case key
- 2997
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 the gusty crosswind conditions. Factors associated with the accident were the wind gusts and crosswind.
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 on a remote beach site with a prevailing right quartering headwind. During the landing roll, a gust of wind picked the right wing up, and the left wing and left elevator collided with the beach, causing substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 1997, about 1215 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N4076M, sustained substantial damage while landing at a remote beach site located about 34 miles southwest of Dillingham, Alaska. The solo commercial certificated pilot was not injured. The local, 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight departed Dillingham about 1150.
During a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator on May 1, the pilot related he was landing to the northwest, with a quartering right headwind. During the landing roll, a wind gust lifted the right wing, and the left wing and left elevator struck the ground. The left wing and left side of the elevator received substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4076M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2958
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kelly Lucas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 27, 1997
- Departed
- DLG
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,098 total · 38 in this make and model · 988 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.