- Date
- April 15, 1999, 09:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7696DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report April 20, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19990415020539A
- Case key
- 46217
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 crosswind conditions. Factors associated with the accident were a crosswind, and an inadvertent ground loop.
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 private pilot was landing on runway 33 in a tailwheel equipped airplane on a paved runway. The pilot said that wind conditions at the time of the accident required that the pilot correct for a 10 knot, left crosswind from 240 degrees. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right, and he overcorrected to the left. He added that the right main wheel 'grabbed' and the airplane ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing struck a runway light, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The closest weather observation station is Merrill Field. On April 15, at 0853, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: Sky conditions and ceiling, 6,500 scattered; visibility, 10 statute miles; wind, 320 degrees (true) at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 15, 1999, about 0915 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire, tailwheel equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7696D, received substantial damage while landing at the Merrill Field Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, on March 28, the pilot reported that he was landing on runway 33, which required a correction for a 10 knot, left crosswind from 240 degrees. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right, and he overcorrected to the left. He added that the right main wheel "grabbed", and the airplane ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing struck a runway light, and sustained substantial damage.
The closest weather observation station is Merrill Field. On April 15, at 0853, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: Sky conditions and ceiling, 6,500 scattered; visibility, 10 statute miles; wind, 320 degrees (true) at 5 knots.
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7696D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5924
- Airframe hours
- 3,925
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James E. Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 30, 1999 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · AK
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field, runway 33, 2,640 × 75 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 200 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.