Aviation Crash Map

Piper PA-18 N2355H

18 September 1997 · Coldfoot, Alaska, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 18 September 1997 at about 21:30 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N2355H was involved in an accident near Coldfoot, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. 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
Coldfoot, Alaska, United States
Nearest airport
Coldfoot (CXF)
Coordinates
64.8109, -147.7198
Aircraft
Piper PA-18
Registration
N2355H
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Fairbanks → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ANC97TA152

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The overservicing/pressurizing of the hydraulic brake system by maintenance personnel that locked the brake system and prevented directional control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had just received a 100-hour inspection from a contract maintenance facility. The pilot was landing the tundra tire, tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel runway. During the flight, the pilot utilized a short section of tubing to direct heater air at his feet. During the landing touchdown, the pilot discovered the brakes were locked. The tires skidded on the gravel surface of the runway and the left wing struck the ground. The pilot indicated the brakes remained locked for about 2 hours after the accident. At that time, the wheels turned normally. The airplane utilizes a separate master brake cylinder/brake pedal assembly for each main wheel brake. The master cylinder/brake pedals are located on the cockpit floor, adjacent to the rudder pedals. The brake cylinders are normally serviced by adding hydraulic brake fluid through a small cap on the top of each cylinder. Maintenance personnel from the operator reported that overservicing of the brake cylinders, and heating of the cylinder assembly produced a locked brake condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-18 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
28 Sep 1997 Piper PA-18-150
N7153Z
Dixie, Idaho, United States Frank E. Brown Serious injuries -
6 Jul 1997 Piper PA-18
N183DP
Middleville, Michigan, United States - Fatal 2
27 Jun 1997 Piper PA-18
N1754A
Clovis, New Mexico, United States - No injuries -
15 Nov 1997 Piper PA-18-150
N1668P
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4 Jun 1997 Piper PA-18-150
N4310Z
Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States - Minor injuries -
15 Jan 1997 Piper PA-18-150
N4101E
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
N30505
Juneau, Alaska, United States - Fatal 2
20 Oct 1997 Cessna 208B
N9304F
Kasigluk, Alaska, United States Peninsula Airways Inc. No injuries -
3 Oct 1997 Piper PA-22-160
N8955D
Sterling, Alaska, United States - Fatal 1
12 Oct 1997 Cessna 182B
N7269E
Palmer, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
15 Oct 1997 Bell 206-B2
N86TA
Sutton, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
21 Oct 1997 Piper PA-20
N7049K
Naknek, Alaska, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States