Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the gusting crosswind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On May 6, 1998, at 1825 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped, Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N7468D, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Chena Marina Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from Chena Marina at 1810 as a local flight after maintenance. The pilot was returning to land at the departure airport due to thunderstorms in the area.
During a telephone interview with the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge and FAA inspectors on May 8, 1998, the pilot stated he was landing on runway 19 in variable winds, gusting to 14 knots. He said that after touchdown, a strong gust from the left pushed the airplane off the right side of the 4,700 feet long by 60 feet wide, gravel runway. The airplane struck an unmanned helicopter parked approximately 50 feet outside the right edge of the approach end of runway 19.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC98LA045