Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wasilla, Alaska 99645
Sunday, June 29, 2008 16:50 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot and passenger were returning to the pilot's private airstrip after a local personal flight. A witness said that about 20 minutes after the airplane had departed, it returned overhead, circled the airstrip once, then began an approach for landing to the south, which required a correction for a left crosswind. As the airplane passed over the approach end of the airstrip, its approach became unstable and it drifted to the right, towards a stand of large trees that bordered the airstrip. Just before the airplane touched down, the engine power increased significantly, the nose pitched up, and it began a steep climb. The witness said that the airplane's right wing struck a 75-foot-tall tree, which pivoted the airplane to the right, and it descended nose first into dense woods. Witnesses stated that at the time of the accident, there were gusty winds between 25 and 30 knots, with rapid direction changes. Examination of the airplane did not disclose any preimpact mechanical malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in a gusty crosswind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/29/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1650 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Wasilla |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99645 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 613512N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1491405W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1636 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAWS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 354 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25481 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 29 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 8 2009 1:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2581P |
| NTSB Number | ANC08FA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-4323 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 19 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 11 |
| Airframe Hours | 4865 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GLIMORE ROBERT J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALMER |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99645-0226 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert J. Gilmore |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Palmer |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99645 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Wasilla |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Wasilla |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Go-around (VFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2009 1:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 1800 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |