- Date
- May 6, 1998, 18:25 local (May 7, 1998, 02:25 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7468DPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 17, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980506012659A
- Case key
- 3136
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 and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the gusting 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 private pilot stated that during landing with variable, 10 knot winds, gusting to 14 knots, a gust from the left pushed the airplane off the right side of the runway. The airplane struck an unmanned helicopter parked 50 feet outside the edge of the 4,700 x 60 foot runway.
Factual narrative
On May 6, 1998, at 1825 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped, Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N7468D, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Chena Marina Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from Chena Marina at 1810 as a local flight after maintenance. The pilot was returning to land at the departure airport due to thunderstorms in the area.
During a telephone interview with the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge and FAA inspectors on May 8, 1998, the pilot stated he was landing on runway 19 in variable winds, gusting to 14 knots. He said that after touchdown, a strong gust from the left pushed the airplane off the right side of the 4,700 feet long by 60 feet wide, gravel runway. The airplane struck an unmanned helicopter parked approximately 50 feet outside the right edge of the approach end of runway 19.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7468D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5798
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Evan L. Wheeler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1998 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- AK28 · Chena Marina, AK
- Destination
- AK28 · AK
- Airport
- AK28 · Chena Marina, runway 19, 4,700 × 60 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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 16 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °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 N7468D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.