Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Palmer, Alaska 99645
Tuesady, June 14, 2011 14:30 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot said he was landing at a remote, gravel-covered, off-airport site with a left crosswind. On touchdown, the airplane bounced and became airborne. He recovered from the bounce, and added power to cushion the landing, but a gust of wind lifted the left wing before touchdown. He aborted the landing, and added full engine power, but the airplane weather-vaned into the wind, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's loss of directional control while landing in a crosswind.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/14/2011
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1430
Event Time Zone --
Event City Palmer
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99645
Event Date Year 2011
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 613011N
Event Location Longitude 1485628W
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 Pilot
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 7500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
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) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.97
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 28736
NTSB Notification Source Blue Mountian Lodge
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 22 2011 2:27PM
User who most recently changed record johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3858Z
NTSB Number ANC11CA047
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Unknown
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-18-150
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 18-7629
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 18 2011 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 15
Airframe Hours 4377
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type C91
Aircraft Owner Name TRACY VREN
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City CHUGIAK
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99567-0130
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Adam J. Grenda
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Post Falls
Operator State ID
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 83854
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 PAVB
Departure City Chugiak
Departure State AK
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1300
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City Palmer
Destination State AK
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 8 2011 11:44AM
User who most recently changed record stam
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --