Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA18 near Juneau, AK — 2020-12-03

Final reportANC21LA008
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Date
2020-12-03
Location
Juneau, AK, USA
Airport
JNU
Aircraft
PIPER PA18
Registration
N4900C
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The solo student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during taxi in strong crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with a ditch.

NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported that, while taxiing to park, a strong crosswind lifted the right wing and that the airplane then began to roll. He attempted to correct for the roll to no avail, and the airplane subsequently ran off the side of the taxiway and impacted a drainage ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right lift struts. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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