ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 173475
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| Date: | Saturday 31 January 2015 |
| Time: | 13:05 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-18 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N78NR |
| MSN: | 18-3513 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mat-Su Valley, east of South Hollywood Airport (67AK), Wasilla, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Chugiak, AK (PABV) |
| Skwentna, AK | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
One commercial pilot was operating a Piper PA-18 “Super Cub” wheel/ski-equipped airplane as a cross-country public flight, and another commercial pilot was operating a Piper PA-18 “Super Cub” ski-equipped airplane as cross-country private flight in day, visual meteorological conditions. Multiple witnesses reported observing one of the airplanes (the wheel/ski-equipped airplane) traveling in a southwesterly direction and the other airplane traveling in a northwesterly direction. One witness said that, as the airplanes approached each other and converged, neither airplane changed altitude nor direction and that they subsequently collided at an approximate 90 degree angle. An examination of both airplanes revealed impact signatures consistent with each airplane colliding at an approximate 90-degree right angle, consistent with the witness’s statement. After the collision, both aircraft descended uncontrolled into an area of densely populated trees and sustained substantial damage, and both pilot sustained serious injuries.
The pilot of the southwesterly bound airplane reported that, while in level cruise flight, the sun was at his 1130- to 1200-o’clock position; this likely resulted in sun glare. He added that he saw a momentary flash in the upper left corner of his windscreen, which was instantaneously followed by the collision. After the collision, his airplane entered an uncontrollable dive with no elevator control. In a final effort to regain control, he pushed the control stick forward, and he was able to regain limited elevator authority, but the airplane continued to descend, nose low, into the tree covered terrain.
Probable Cause: Both pilots’ inadequate visual lookout and failure to see and avoid each other while in level cruise flight, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the obscuration of the pilot’s visibility due to sun glare.
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=78NR
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 24 June 2000 | N78NR | Private | 0 | SKWENTNA, Alaska | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Feb-2015 02:08 | Geno | Added |
| 01-Feb-2015 17:45 | Geno | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Feb-2015 10:32 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 02-Feb-2015 11:10 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator] |
| 02-Feb-2015 14:00 | Anon. | Updated [Registration] |
| 02-Feb-2015 17:43 | Geno | Updated [Cn, Source] |
| 14-Feb-2015 06:37 | Geno | Updated [Time, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-Dec-2017 11:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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