Piper PA 18-150 N74843

Summary

On 6 April 2014 at about 16:30 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N74843 was involved in an accident near Bethel, Maine, 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

6 April 2014 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Bethel Rgnl (0B1)

Coordinates

44.4253, -70.8100

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N74843

Category

Airplane

Year built

1955

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Banner Tow

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bethel → Bethel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14CA188

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while taxiing after landing during gusty wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane, he landed on runway 32 with a left quartering headwind. He stopped the airplane and initiated a turn in order to back taxi to exit the runway. As the airplane turned, the pilot pushed the control stick forward to keep the tail of the airplane down. However, during the turn, a "gust [of wind] lifted the tail" of the airplane, it nosed over, and came to rest inverted resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, and right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 24 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.