Piper PA-18-160 N3952Z
8 July 1997 · Cantwell, Alaska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 8 July 1997 at about 21:30 local time, a Piper PA-18-160 registered N3952Z was involved in an accident near Cantwell, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cantwell, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 63.0104, -149.4008
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-160
- Registration
- N3952Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Soule Lake → Gas Lake
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC97LA100
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude to clear terrain. Factors were exceeding the airplane's maximum allowable gross weight, and downdrafts and turbulence associated with wind flowing across a mountain ridge.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The air taxi pilot and passenger were approaching a mountain ridge from below. Both occupants described conditions favoring a downslope wind and turbulence at the ridge. The pilot attempted to turn when he realized they would not clear the ridge, but the airplane descended and impacted terrain. The airplane was estimated to weigh 1,827 pounds at the time of the last takeoff. The maximum takeoff weight is 1,760 pounds. The elevation at the accident site was 4,500 feet msl.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-18 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Dixie, Idaho, United States | Frank E. Brown | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Middleville, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Battle Ground, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 1997 | Piper PA-18-150 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Chandler Air Service | No injuries | - |
All 2,950 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Oct 1997 | Cessna 208B | Kasigluk, Alaska, United States | Peninsula Airways Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-22-160 | Sterling, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Cessna 182B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1997 | Bell 206-B2 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-20 | Naknek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |