N81648

On September 19, 2000, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N81648, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during takeoff from an off airport ridgetop, about 22 miles northeast of Galena, Alaska, at 64 degrees, 52 minutes north latitude, 156 degrees, 06 minutes west longitude. The commercial pilot and the one passenger on board received no injuries. The hunter-guide business flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and was departing the ridge for Galena. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed.

The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) during a telephone interview on September 20, and in his NTSB pilot/operator report, that during takeoff from a snow-covered ridge, a gusty crosswind from the right pushed the airplane off the ridge. He stated that the airplane cartwheeled and broke in half. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and tail assembly.