- Date
- August 22, 2020, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tok, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7468DPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200822009789A
- Case key
- 101862
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with trees.
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 student pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while on final approach, the airplane drifted off runway centerline and she tried to recenter the airplane prior to touchdown. The airplane touched down and veered right, exited the runway and impacted trees. Both wings were substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7468D
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5798
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 8,540
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2020 · 200 hours before
- Departed
- PFTO · Tok, AK
- Destination
- PFTO · Tok, AK
- Airport
- PFTO · Tok Junction, runway 7, 2,560 × 50 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 45 in this make and model · 35.9 as pilot in command · 43.5 in the last 90 days · 11.8 in the last 30 days · 0.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- PAOR, 41 nm away
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 N7468D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.