- Date
- September 9, 1997, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mackay, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N91019Piper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970909047919A
- Case key
- 42692
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot misjudged the distance/altitude while on final approach.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while on short final for the short field landing, the airplane settled and struck a four foot high fence that runs perpendicular to the runway. The airplane landed hard just beyond the fence. The landing gear collapsed and the right wing tip dragged on the ground.
Factual narrative
On September 9, 1997, at 1730 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N91019, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with a fence post and subsequently landed hard and collapsed the landing gear at a private airstrip located ten miles east of Mackay, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured.
The pilot reported that he was landing to the north on the grass airstrip. A four foot high fence crosses perpendicular to the approach end of the airstrip. The pilot reported that while on short final for the short field landing, the airplane settled and struck the fence. The airplane then landed hard just beyond the fence. The landing gear collapsed and the right wing tip dragged on the ground.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91019
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8109063
- Airframe hours
- 760
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles A. Rogler
- Registered owner
- Consolidated Exporters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 1996 · 20 hours before
- Airport
- Pass Creek Ranch, runway 36, 2,000 × 40 ft, grass/turf
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 650 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.