N323DH – PIPER PA 18-150 – 2015-07-22 NTSB Accident Report

On July 22, 2015, a Piper PA 18-150 (N323DH) was involved in an incident near Talkeetna, 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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and improper recovery from a bounced landing resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.

The pilot reported he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, vegetation covered, off-airport site. The pilot said that during the approach, just prior to touchdown the airplane encountered a wind shift and increase in wind speed, resulting in a strong downdraft. The pilot applied full power in an effort to correct for the downdraft, but the airplane touched down much harder than anticipated and bounced, rotating 90 degrees before impacting a berm and nosing down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC15CA054. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N323DH.