- Date
- January 27, 2019, 15:00 local (Jan 28, 2019, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- McGrath, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8170CPiper PA 18A
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190127005779A
- Case key
- 98962
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in the landing gear collapsing.
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 ski-equipped airplane reported that, while landing off-airport on a snow-covered field, he side-loaded the landing gear on the left side against a large "tussock" hidden by the snow. The left landing gear folded under the airplane, which caused the left wingtip to drop into the snow and impact a snow-covered tussock. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the ski-equipped airplane reported that, while landing off-airport on a snow-covered field, he side loaded the landing gear on the left side against a large "tussock" hidden by the snow. The left landing gear folded under the airplane, causing the left wingtip to drop into the snow and impact a snow-covered tussock. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8170C
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18A (135)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3626
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 415
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 7, 2018
- Departed
- MCG · Mcgrath, AK
- Destination
- MCG · Mcgrath, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 16, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,800 total · 7,600 in this make and model · 8,780 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- PAMC, 26 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.