- Date
- June 5, 1999, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ekwok, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1195APiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19990605046759A
- Case key
- 51028
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 in 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 private certificated pilot was landing on the tundra next to his fishing lodge. The pilot said he intended to land into the prevailing wind that was blowing about 22 knots, with gusts to 30 knots. As he touched down, he realized the wind direction was actually a left quartering headwind. During the landing roll, the wind lifted the left wing. He said he applied full left aileron and full left rudder, and applied engine power to control the airplane. The right wing contacted the tundra and the airplane veered to the right. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The pilot said the left wing aft spar was broken, and the wing was deformed aft.
Factual narrative
On June 5, 1999, about 1200 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N1195A, sustained substantial damage while landing at a fishing lodge, about 2.5 miles southwest of Ekwok, Alaska, about latitude 59 degrees, 20 minutes north, and longitude 157 degrees, 30 minutes west. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country business flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Dillingham airport, Dillingham, Alaska, about 1130.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on April 7, 2000, the pilot reported he was flying from Dillingham to Ekwok with a fishing guide employee of the lodge. The pilot said he utilized the airplane only for his company transportation, and not for fishing clients. He said he was landing on the tundra next to the Big Bend Lodge. He said he intended to land into the prevailing wind that was blowing about 22 knots, with gusts to 30 knots. As he touched down, he realized the wind direction was actually a left quartering headwind. During the landing roll, the wind lifted the left wing. He said he applied full left aileron and full left rudder, and applied engine power to control the airplane. The right wing contacted the tundra and the airplane veered to the right. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The pilot said the left wing aft spar was broken, and the wing was deformed aft.
The pilot said he did not report the accident at the time of the accident, but recently decided to make a report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1195A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-803
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Fred C. Noden Jr.
- Registered owner
- Fred Noden Sr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PADL · Dillingham, AK
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 200 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 30 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.
Other investigations on N1195A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.