Piper PA-18 N4500W

Summary

On 1 April 1997 at about 15:45 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N4500W, operated by National Park Service, was involved in an accident near Noatak, 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.

Date

1 April 1997 at 15:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Noatak, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Noatak (WTK)

Coordinates

67.5691, -162.9997

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N4500W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

National Park Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kotzebue → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC97TA045

Nobody was injured.

failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop and damage to the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were: the ice/snow covered runway, and the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model of airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, an employee of the National Park Service, related he was returning to his position as a Park Ranger/Pilot after a three month furlough from the park service. The purpose of the accident flight was to regain proficiency in the Piper PA-18 airplane. The pilot said that during the landing roll on the fourth landing, he lost directional control of the airplane, and it ground looped to the left, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Also, the pilot said he did not fly during his furlough, and that his total flight experience in the PA-18 airplane was approximately five hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.