- Date
- November 6, 2016, 16:30 local (Nov 7, 2016, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mouth of The Big Susitna River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N62744Piper PA18
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161106023949A
- Case key
- 94343
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 take off with a gusting quartering tailwind and his subsequent loss of airplane control.
Findings · 5
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during takeoff from a tidal flat, a strong quartering tailwind gust "hit the tail" and he corrected with rudder. The pilot further reported that as soon as the airplane became airborne another strong quartering tailwind gust pushed the airplane inline to impact a driftwood tree that was lying on the tidal flat. The airplane proceeded to strike and bounce off of the driftwood tree and then descended toward a water channel. The pilot reported that he "did not know exactly what happened", other than the airplane touched down on the other side of the water channel and the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the left wingtip hit the ground and the airplane slid to a stop backwards. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during takeoff from a tidal flat, a strong quartering tailwind gust "hit the tail" and he corrected with rudder. The pilot further reported that as soon as the airplane became airborne another strong quartering tailwind gust pushed the airplane inline to impact a driftwood tree that was lying on the tidal flat. The airplane proceeded to strike and bounce off of the driftwood tree and then descended toward a water channel. The pilot reported that he "did not know exactly what happened", other than the airplane touched down on the other side of the water channel and the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the left wingtip hit the ground and the airplane slid to a stop backwards. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N62744
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809109
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 1,222.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2016
- Departed
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- Destination
- Mouth of The Big Susitna River, AK
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 3, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 644.4 total · 319.3 in this make and model · 593.4 as pilot in command · 58.5 in the last 90 days · 5.4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.46 inHg
- Observed at
- PANC, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 22, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 982 KB 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.
Other investigations on N62744 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.