- Date
- June 14, 2018, 17:55 local (Jun 15, 2018, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3764ZPiper PA 18
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180614007869A
- Case key
- 97544
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting tailwind conditions.
Findings · 6
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, during short final, the airplane encountered moderate turbulence, but he was able to maintain runway alignment and glideslope with constant power and flight control adjustments. During the landing roll, about 20 mph, the tailwheel-equipped airplane veered right. He applied full left aileron and rudder corrections, but the airplane continued to the right, exited the runway, impacted a post, and came to rest upright in a row of trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The weather observation station located about 7 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about 1 minute after the accident, wind was variable at 6 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was from 130º at 21 knots, gusting to 30 knots. The airplane landed on runway 26. The pilot added that, after landing, the wind sock was found to be damaged and was not indicating wind direction properly; it was replaced after the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during short final, the airplane encountered moderate turbulence, but he was able to maintain runway alignment and glide slope with constant power and flight control adjustments. During the landing roll, about 20 miles per hour, the tailwheel equipped airplane veered right. He applied full left aileron and rudder corrections, but the airplane continued to the right, exited the runway, impacted a garden post and came to rest upright in a row of trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The weather observation station located about 7 nautical miles from the accident site, about a minute after the accident, reported the wind was variable at 6 knots, gusting 15 knots. The pilot reported the wind was from 130º at 21 knots, gusting 30 knots. The airplane landed on runway 26. The pilot added that, after landing, the wind sock was discovered to be damaged, not indicating wind direction properly, was replaced days after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3764Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7527
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 1,747
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A@B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 2018
- Departed
- 0AK1 · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- 0AK1 · Wasilla, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 0AK1 · Anderson Lake, runway 26, 1,800 × 40 ft, gravel
- 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial, Military, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 18, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 12,650 total · 4 in this make and model · 3,668 as pilot in command · 131 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.
Other investigations on N3764Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.