N4478A

Substantial
None

PIPER PA-18 S/N: 18-4835

Accident Details

Date
Monday, August 29, 1994
NTSB Number
ANC94LA116
Location
SKWENTNA, AK
Event ID
20001206X01916
Coordinates
59.850803, -154.559677
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

THE PILOT'S SELECTING A GRAVEL BAR FOR A NORMAL LANDING. A FACTOR WAS THE SOFT SPOT IN THE GRAVEL BAR.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
18-4835
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1956
Model / ICAO
PA-18 PA18
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
1
FAA Model
PA-18A 150

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
ORTH HENRY J
Address
7362 W PARKS HWY # 618
City
WASILLA
State / Zip Code
AK 99623-9300
Country
United States

Analysis

On August 29, 1994, at 1500 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N4478A, registered to and operated by Henry J. Orth of Anchorage, Alaska, nosed over during the landing roll on a gravel bar located at the confluence of the Hartman River and South Fork of the Kuskokwim River. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed a field site for a local hunting flight. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane received substantial damage.

According to the pilot he landed on a gravel bar and during the landing roll, while applying brake pressure, the airplane's wheels hit a soft spot and the airplane nosed over.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC94LA116