Piper PA-18 N897SP

Summary

On 7 June 2008 at about 03:10 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N897SP, operated by Shaun A. Lunt, was involved in an accident near Quinhagak, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 2008 at 03:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.4681, -161.7847

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N897SP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Shaun A. Lunt

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Iliamna → Nome

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08FA072

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude in high winds, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and uncontrolled descent to the ground. Contributing to the accident were the high winds.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Two airplanes were flying northbound over an ocean beach at about 100 feet above the ground. The pilot of the second airplane reported that while the accident airplane was flying at his 10 o'clock position, the accident pilot radioed that he saw what he thought was a whale vertebra on the beach and that he was going take a look. The second pilot said that the accident airplane began circling over the site, and during the second 360-degree turn, the right wing stalled and the airplane descended to the ground in a nose-down attitude, colliding with the gravel-covered beach in a near-vertical attitude. A postcrash fire started immediately after impact. At the time of the accident there were strong westerly winds, ranging between 25 and 30 knots. Examination of the airplane did not disclose any preimpact mechanical malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.