Piper PA18 N8097N

Summary

On 16 August 2016 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA18 registered N8097N was involved in an accident near Anchor Point, Alaska, 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

16 August 2016 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchor Point, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.8008, -151.8461

Aircraft

Piper PA18

Registration

N8097N

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McArthur River → Anchor Point

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA436

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles while landing on a coastal beach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during landing on a coastal beach, the airplane's left wing struck a driftwood tree branch that protruded from a higher berm. The airplane subsequently spun to the left, which resulted in substantial damage to the elevator and both ailerons. The pilot further reported that he had seen the tree but not the branch on his initial flight over the landing area while looking for debris. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.