Piper PA-20 N7763K

Summary

On 18 August 2011 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA-20 registered N7763K, operated by Randy F. Stahl, was involved in an accident near Tyonek, 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

18 August 2011 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.2697, -151.7931

Aircraft

Piper PA-20

Registration

N7763K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Randy F. Stahl

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tyonek → Soldotna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC11CA082

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s decision to take off toward a hill with a gusting tailwind. Contributing was the pilot's premature rotation that prevented the airplane from climbing over the hill.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that he was departing from a remote off-airport site, downhill and with a light and variable tailwind. Because the airplane was gettig closer to a hill at the end of the runway, the pilot said he pulled back on the elevators too soon to fly. Shortly after takeoff, he said that a tailwind gust kept the airplane from climbing, and the main landing gear wheels struck a hill at the departure end of the site. The airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.