Piper PA-18 accident near Skwentna, AK
On August 14, 2002, a Piper PA-18 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Skwentna, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 14, 2002
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 61.950°N, 151.167°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020829X01490
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 14, 2002, about 1539 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N4065Z, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with tree-covered terrain, about 1,500 feet west of the Skwentna Airport, Skwentna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot, and the one passenger, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1445, from the Lake Hood Airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska, and was en route to Skwentna. A family member reported that the pilot intended to fly to his remote cabin located near Skwentna on August 14, and return by 0800 on August 16. When the airplane did not arrive in Anchorage, the family member reported the airplane overdue on August 16, about 1722. At the request of the family, friends in Skwentna checked the pilot's cabin, and reported that there were no signs that anyone had been at the cabin recently. A review of the accident pilot's flight plan for the outbound portion of the flight on August 14, revealed that the pilot cancelled his flight plan at 1533, while still airborne, over the destination airport of Skwentna. On August 16, about 2118, ground search personnel in Skwentna, aided by aerial search personnel, located the airplane wreckage along the anticipated final approach path to runway 27, at Skwentna. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC)
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while on approach to land, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent collision with trees.
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Browse: Alaska · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
