Piper PA 18 N82735
31 January 2015 · Wasilla, Alaska, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 January 2015 at about 22:05 local time, a Piper PA 18 registered N82735, operated by STATE OF ALASKA / Alaska State Troopers, was involved in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wasilla, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.5281, -149.6880
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18
- Registration
- N82735
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1977
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- STATE OF ALASKA / Alaska State Troopers
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wasilla → Beluga
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC15FA009
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
Both pilots’ inadequate visual lookout and failure to see and avoid each other while in level cruise flight, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the obscuration of the pilot’s visibility due to sun glare.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
One commercial pilot was operating a Piper PA-18 "Super Cub" wheel/ski-equipped airplane as a cross-country public flight, and another commercial pilot was operating a Piper PA-18 "Super Cub" ski-equipped airplane as cross-country private flight in day, visual meteorological conditions. Multiple witnesses reported observing one of the airplanes (the wheel/ski-equipped airplane) traveling in a southwesterly direction and the other airplane traveling in a northwesterly direction. One witness said that, as the airplanes approached each other and converged, neither airplane changed altitude nor direction and that they subsequently collided at an approximate 90-degree angle. An examination of both airplanes revealed impact signatures consistent with each airplane colliding at an approximate 90-degree right angle, consistent with the witness's statement. After the collision, both aircraft descended uncontrolled into an area of densely populated trees and sustained substantial damage, and both pilot sustained serious injuries. The pilot of the southwesterly bound airplane reported that, while in level cruise flight, the sun was at his 1130- to 1200-o'clock position; this likely resulted in sun glare. He added that he saw a momentary flash in the upper left corner of his windscreen, which was instantaneously followed by the collision. After the collision, his airplane entered an uncontrollable dive with no elevator control. In a final effort to regain control, he pushed the control stick forward, and he was able to regain limited elevator authority, but the airplane continued to descend, nose low, into the tree-covered terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA 18 | N82735 | STATE OF ALASKA / Alaska State Troopers | Substantial |
| Piper PA18 150 | N78NR | Jeff B. Bara | Substantial |
Other Piper PA-18 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | LaBelle, Florida, United States | LOW & Slow Aviation Ventures LLC | No injuries | - |
| 3 Nov 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | Tecumseh, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Feb 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | Brookneal, Virginia, United States | Liberty University School of Aeronautics | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | La Quinta, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | McCarthy, Alaska, United States | Phillip Sturm | No injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | Chugiak, Alaska, United States | Fairbanks Seth G | Fatal | 2 |
All 2,950 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 2015 | De Havilland DHC-3T | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Alaska Air Taxi LLC | No injuries | - |
| 14 Apr 2015 | Cessna 180 | Whittier, Alaska, United States | Dale A. Carlson | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Dec 2015 | Piper PA 18A | Girdwood, Alaska, United States | Okonek Kellie L | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 2015 | Piper PA 12 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 2015 | Maule M 7-235B | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | Kaylor Ronald N | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2015 | Cessna 150G | Mekoryuk, Alaska, United States | Harvey Paul B | No injuries | - |