- Date
- September 24, 1994, 16:45 local (Sep 25, 1994, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Galena, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7513KPiper PA-18-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940925030729A
- Case key
- 19172
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 excessive use of brakes during landing. A factor was the unfavorable winds at the remote landing area.
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 on a gravel bar in a river at his hunting base camp. During the approach he noted that he would be landing with a left to right cross wind. After touchdown, he raised the flaps and applied brakes. As the brakes were applied, the tail came up and the airplane nosed over. After extricating himself from the airplane and walking back to the base camp, he noticed that the wind was variable and had shifted to a tail wind. He estimated the wind speed to be 15, gusting to 20 knots.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 1994, approximately 1645 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-18-160, N7513K, was substantially damaged during landing near Galena, Alaska. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
The pilot was on a local flight when he decided to land at his hunting base camp on the Dulbi River. The landing area was a gravel bar in the river. The pilot estimated that it was 800 feet by 35 feet at its narrowest. The river banks were vegetated with trees and brush. He stated that he set up his normal approach to the gravel bar and noted on the homemade wind indicator that he would be landing with a left to right cross wind.
He further stated that, after touchdown, he raised the flaps and applied the brakes. As he applied the brakes the tail came up and the airplane nosed over onto its back. He said that after extricating himself from the airplane and walking to the hunting camp, he noticed the wind appeared to be shifting frequently and had changed into a tail wind. He estimated the wind speed to be about 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7513K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-225
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Napflin, Erich
- Registered owner
- Lepping, Kurt M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,212 total · 83 in this make and model · 1,182 as pilot in command · 148 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °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 N7513K · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.