- Date
- September 16, 1997, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Northway, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5840ZPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970916027709A
- Case key
- 3070
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
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 was landing the tailwheel, tundra tire equipped airplane on an asphalt runway. The pilot planned to perform a wheel landing. During the landing roll, the airplane ground looped and departed the right side of the runway. The airplane received damage to the left wing spars, left aileron, the left horizontal stabilizer, and the left elevator. The pilot indicted he had accrued a total of 3 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Factual narrative
On September 16, 1997, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel, tundra tire equipped, Piper PA-22, N5840Z, crashed during landing at the Northway Airport, Northway, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight, when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, at 1030.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 20, 1997, at 0930, the pilot reported he was landing on an asphalt covered runway, runway 04, at the Northway Airport. The pilot planned to perform a wheel landing. During the landing roll, the airplane ground looped and departed the right side of the runway. The airplane received damage to the left wing spars, left aileron, the left horizontal stabilizer, and the left elevator.
In the pilot/operator report (NTSB form 6120.1/2) submitted by the pilot, he indicated the wind conditions were from 010 degrees at 3 knots. The pilot also indicted he had accrued a total of 3 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5840Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-9694
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Emory M. Strong
- Registered owner
- Charles Dalton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorgae, AK
- Destination
- ORT
- Airport
- ORT · Northway, runway 4, 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
- 63
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 3 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N5840Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.