Piper PA-18 N18ZF

Summary

On 16 June 2004 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N18ZF was involved in an accident near McGrath, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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

16 June 2004 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

McGrath, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

63.1700, -156.2697

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N18ZF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McGrath → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC04LA065

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in the airplane nosing over during the landing roll. A factor contributing to the accident was the presence of soft tundra.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was landing in an open area of tundra next to a creek. As the airplane touched down, the pilot said he realized that the tundra surface was soft and wet. During the landing roll, the main landing gear tires dug into the soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot, who is a certificated aviation mechanic, reported that the airplane received damage to the left wing lift strut, the rudder, and the vertical stabilizer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.