Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Willow, Alaska 99688
Friday, May 14, 2010 14:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight departed a private airport about 3 miles south of the accident site. A witness reported seeing the airplane approaching at a low altitude. The witness observed the airplane's left wing strike a tree about 100 feet from his location. The airplane continued and passed overhead, crashing in a wooded area behind him. The witness recalled that the airplane's engine sounded as though it was producing power and that the airplane maintained level flight. The accident site was on a broad, flat expanse of tree-covered land. The airplane impacted a single tree located between the parking area and the park administration building; the top 8 feet of the 50-foot-tall tree was severed. The airplane subsequently impacted additional trees and terrain at the rear of the building. An examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. Within the wreckage, an open container of beer was found located in the cockpit at the base of the pilot's seat.
Toxicological testing performed on the pilot's specimens detected 106 (mg/dL, mg/hg) ethanol in the blood, which is equivalent to a 0.106 percent blood-alcohol level. He had slightly higher vitreous and urine alcohol levels, consistent with the recent ingestion of alcohol and with impairment due to that ingestion.
A review of law enforcement records revealed that the pilot had two alcohol and driving related convictions in 1994 and 1996. After the second conviction, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requested that this pilot undergo psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations, which did not formally result in a diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence, but noted that having the convictions gives an indication that the pilot does have problems with drinking and that alcohol consumption is an area of potential danger for him. Despite these concerns, the FAA issued a medical certificate to the pilot without any further follow-up required.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree due to the effects of impairment from alcohol consumption.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/14/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Willow |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99688 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 615442N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1500500W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAUO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 221 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.82 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27618 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Anchorage, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2011 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1123 |
| NTSB Number | ANC10FA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18-135 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-4034 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2000 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael Zobel |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Tok |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99780 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Neal Burleson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Willow |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99688 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Willow |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Willow |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2011 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |