Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA 18-150 near Talkeetna, AK — 2015-08-09

Final reportANC15LA063
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Date
2015-08-09
Location
Talkeetna, AK, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA 18-150
Registration
N9265D
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

Impact with terrain during low-level cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was returning home after delivering passengers to a remote hunting camp. He recalled flying about 500 ft above ground level and looking at the north side of a mountain. The next thing that he remembered was waking up with a broken leg and the airplane on the ground. He extracted himself from the wreckage and requested assistance via satellite phone. He had no recollection of the events leading up to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not recovered from the accident site.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have maintained better situational awareness while flying.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

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