Summary
On May 15, 1999, a Piper PA-18 (N7051) was involved in an incident near Nome, AK. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor in this accident was the crosswind.
On May 15, 1999, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-ski equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7051, sustained substantial damage when it nosed down during landing about 58 miles north of Nome, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a public use aircraft by the State of Alaska Department of Public Safety. The flight departed Nome about 1205 to patrol for bear hunters. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) during a telephone interview on May 17, that he was landing on a clear section of a two-lane gravel road to assist a company airplane which had become stuck in soft snow.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC99TA061. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7051.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor in this accident was the crosswind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On May 15, 1999, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-ski equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7051, sustained substantial damage when it nosed down during landing about 58 miles north of Nome, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a public use aircraft by the State of Alaska Department of Public Safety. The flight departed Nome about 1205 to patrol for bear hunters. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) during a telephone interview on May 17, that he was landing on a clear section of a two-lane gravel road to assist a company airplane which had become stuck in soft snow. There was a 12 knot crosswind, blowing from 40 degrees left of the airplane's nose. The pilot stated that the touchdown and landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane "crow hopped" to the right. The airplane departed the right side of the road. The wheels contacted soft snow, and the airplane nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-rear lift-strut. The pilot told the IIC that there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC99TA061