Piper PA 18-150 N4483Z

Summary

On 8 September 2013 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N4483Z was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, 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

8 September 2013 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.0944, -149.6803

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N4483Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wasilla → Talkeetna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC13CA096

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's delayed decision to go-around, which resulted in a collision with water.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. On final approach she felt the wind shift, and elected to go-around. During the attempted go-around, a downdraft pushed the airplane to the ground. She steered the airplane down a tundra covered slope toward an alpine lake, in an attempt to become airborne. The airplane impacted the water sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, left aileron and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if she had made the decision to go around earlier.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.