- Date
- July 28, 2022, 12:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- McCarthy, AK · about 20 southeast of McCarthy, Alaska, near Big Bend Lakes
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N82735Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- 20220728021679A
- Case key
- 105653
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 improper decision to takeoff from an unimproved airstrip with a high density altitude which degraded its climb performance and led to a collision with vegetation off the end of the airstrip.
Findings · 4
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, while departing a remote rough and soft unimproved airstrip, the airplane’s tail rose off the ground just before the abort point and the airplane lifted off and entered into ground effect. Due to the high density altitude, the airplane was unable to gain sufficient airspeed to clear vegetation at the end of the airstrip. The pilot aborted the take off and the airplane came to rest in vegetation off the end of the airstrip. The right elevator was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82735
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7709183
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 8,158.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - state · Public use
- Operator
- State Of Alaska
- Registered owner
- State Of Alaska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 2022 · 14.3 hours before
- Destination
- MYK · McCarthy, AK
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 28, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 969 total · 729 in this make and model · 833 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2021
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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 N82735 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.