- Date
- August 25, 2016, 16:00 local (Aug 26, 2016, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Central, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9575DPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160825015299A
- Case key
- 93920
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 decision to taxi on unsuitable terrain after landing, which resulted in an encounter with a washed out ditch.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he diverted to an un-published airstrip along his route due to poor visibility. The pilot further reported that after a normal landing, he was taxing to reposition the airplane and the right main landing gear dropped into a washed out ditch. The right wing impacted the ground and was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he diverted to an un-published airstrip along his route due to poor visibility. The pilot further reported that after a normal landing, he was taxing to reposition the airplane and the right main landing gear dropped into a washed out ditch. The right wing impacted the ground and was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9575D
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6757
- Built
- 1958
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Swift Fork Air, doing business as Swift Fork Air
- Registered owner
- Cristina R. Laird & Mark Keech
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 19, 2016 · 7,766 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Central, AK
- Destination
- AK28 · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 7, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 10,250 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 10,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 76 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.