Summary
On June 27, 2016, a Piper PA18 (N4231Z) was involved in an incident near Palmer, AK. All 2 people 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for an off-airport landing, which resulted in a collision with trees and a ground-loop.
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, gravel covered, off-airport landing site adjacent to a river. Prior to landing, the pilot overflew the landing site multiple times at different altitudes for inspection. During the landing rollout the right wing struck tree branches, which resulted in a ground-loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage and left horizontal stabilizer. 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 ANC16CA041. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4231Z.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for an off-airport landing, which resulted in a collision with trees and a ground-loop.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a rough and uneven, gravel covered, off-airport landing site adjacent to a river. Prior to landing, the pilot overflew the landing site multiple times at different altitudes for inspection. During the landing rollout the right wing struck tree branches, which resulted in a ground-loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he would have increased his familiarization of off-airport operations, or selected a more suitable landing site.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC16CA041