Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Sunday, October 19, 2014 15:30 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On October 19, 2014, about 1530 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Cub Crafters Inc., CC18-180 airplane, N537CC, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control, while attempting to drag an off-airport landing site near Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country public-use flight, under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The certificated commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at the Soldotna Airport, Soldotna, Alaska, about 1500, destined for Pincher Creek Cabin an off-airport landing site, located within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge near Anchorage, AK.
During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 22, the pilot stated that before attempting a full stop landing, he planned to "drag the site", which involved doing a touch-and-go landing by placing the main landing gear wheels on the surface of the site to evaluate the surface before attempting a full stop landing.
The pilot reported upon touchdown, the airplane bounced slightly, it settled back to the surface, and it subsequently veered to the left. Unable to correct for the veer the pilot applied full power in an attempt to initiate the go-around, but the airplane impacted the elevated edge of the creek bank and came to rest upright in the water, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, elevators, and rudder.
A postaccident examination of the airplane by the NTSB IIC, along with two other NTSB investigators, and two aviation safety inspectors from the Anchorage Flight Standards District Office revealed no mechanical irregularities that would have precluded normal operation.
The closest weather reporting facility is Anchorage Airport, Anchorage, AK about 20 miles northeast of the accident site. At 1553, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) at Anchorage, Alaska, reported: wind 340 degrees at 4 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; few clouds at 2,500 feet; broken clouds at 18,000 feet; temperature, 41 degrees F; dew point 26 degrees F; altimeter, 29.11 inHG.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/19/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Anchorage |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99501 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 610323N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1502233W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 1553 AKD |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 18 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PANC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 151 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AKD |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 18000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.11 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 3 2014 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N537CC |
| NTSB Number | ANC15TA003 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CUB CRAFTERS INC |
| Aircraft Model | CC18-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | NO SERIES |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CC18-0061 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | -- |
| 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 | U S DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOISE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 837063991 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | US Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Anchorage |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Soldotna |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | AKD |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Anchorage |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 3 2014 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| 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 | -- |