Piper PA-18-150 N8071D

Summary

On 11 April 1997 at about 23:00 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N8071D, operated by Leon C. Braswell, was involved in an accident near Manokotak, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 1997 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Manokotak, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.8809, -158.9290

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N8071D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Leon C. Braswell

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dilliingham → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC97LA054

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall of the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's performance of a low altitude flight maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was flying in a remote area. A witness observed the airplane flying at a very low level near, or possibly below, the tops of a river bank. He said he saw the airplane climb rapidly, slow down, and begin a turn to the left. He lost sight of the airplane, but, within a few seconds, heard a loud noise and saw smoke in the vicinity where he had last seen the airplane. When he arrived at the accident site, the airplane was on fire. Postaccident inspection of the airplane disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.