Piper PA-18 N7509K

Summary

On 2 August 2009 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N7509K, operated by Nord Derek D, was involved in an accident near Skwentna, 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

2 August 2009 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Skwentna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.0500, -151.8167

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N7509K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Nord Derek D

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Skwentna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC09CA076

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s misjudged landing on a downsloping, short landing strip, resulting in a nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at his remote, 650-foot-long private airstrip, at the conclusion of a personal cross-country flight operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. He said that wind conditions required an easterly approach, over an area of stump-covered, down sloping terrain. During the approach, the airplane’s right main wheel struck a tree stump at the approach end of the site, and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. In his written report to the NTSB, the pilot noted that the accident might have been avoided if he had waited until wind conditions allowed for a different approach, or if he had waited to reduce engine power after clearance with the stump was ensured.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.