Piper PA 18-150 N3971Z

Summary

On 11 July 2014 at about 23:00 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N3971Z, operated by Orear Michael T, was involved in an accident near Prudhoe Bay, 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

11 July 2014 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

69.3589, -148.7008

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N3971Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1962

Engines

1

Operator

Orear Michael T

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Prudhoe Bay → Prudhoe Bay

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC14CA053

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing and attempted go-around, resulting in contact with terrain and a ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. Upon touchdown the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder in an attempt to correct for the veer, but the airplane continued to the right. The pilot then initiated a go-around, but was still unable to maintain directional control, and aborted the go-around, which resulted in a ground loop. During the ground loop the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) on July 12, the pilot stated that the right brake may have malfunctioned, but he thought it was more probable that he had lost control. In a statement the pilot provided to the NTSB IIC on September 12 the pilot stated that an examination of the right main wheel brake assembly at the accident site revealed no deficiencies. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had not attempted a go-around and had used more aggressive braking on the left main wheel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.