Piper PA-18-150 N743

Summary

On 31 August 2009 at about 01:50 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N743, operated by United States Department of Interior, was involved in an accident near Bethel, 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

31 August 2009 at 01:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.5467, -161.1033

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N743

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

United States Department of Interior

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bethel → Bethel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC09TA090

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's excessive use of brakes while landing at an off-airport site.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was being operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in support of a law enforcement mission, as a visual-flight-rules public use flight. The commercial pilot said that he applied the brakes of the tailwheel-equipped airplane aggressively during the landing roll to avoid running off the end of the off-airport landing area. He said that the airplane stopped quickly and nosed down, coming to rest on its nose. He noted that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot said that in addition to the left wing tip and leading edge receiving damage, the fuselage and tubular brace above the pilot's seat received substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.