N74843 – PIPER PA 18-150 – 2014-04-06 NTSB Accident Report

On April 06, 2014, a Piper PA 18-150 (N74843) was involved in an incident near Bethel, ME. 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 control of the airplane while taxiing after landing during gusty wind conditions.

According to the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane, he landed on runway 32 with a left quartering headwind. He stopped the airplane and initiated a turn in order to back taxi to exit the runway. As the airplane turned, the pilot pushed the control stick forward to keep the tail of the airplane down. However, during the turn, a "gust [of wind] lifted the tail" of the airplane, it nosed over, and came to rest inverted resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, and right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 24 knots.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA188. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N74843.