Healy, AK, USA
N7472D
Piper PA-18
The airline transport certificated pilot was departing from a tundra/gravel covered area along a creek. He described the takeoff area as 20 feet wide, by 300 feet long, with a dogleg turn to the left, and an additional takeoff area of 600 feet. The entire takeoff area slopes downhill. The pilot said he was departing toward the north, with a 6 to 10 knot tailwind. He said about 100 feet past the dogleg turn to the left, the tailwind pushed the tail of the airplane to the right. The nose of the airplane veered to the left, collided with willow bushes, and nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing lift struts, the rudder, and the right elevator.
On September 6, 2004, about 1400 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7472D, sustained substantial damage when it collided with willow trees and nosed over during the takeoff run from a remote area about 18 miles east-northeast of Healy, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight from the area of Healy Creek, under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The airline transport certificated pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed for the flight from Healy Creek, to Healy, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 7, the pilot reported that he was departing from a tundra/gravel covered area along Healy Creek. He described the takeoff area as 20 feet wide, by 300 feet long, with a dogleg turn to the left, and an additional takeoff area of 600 feet. The entire takeoff area slopes downhill. The pilot said he was departing toward the north, with a 6 to 10 knot tailwind. He said about 100 feet past the dogleg turn to the left, the tailwind pushed the tail of his airplane to the right. The nose of the airplane veered to the left, collided with willow bushes, and nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing lift struts, the rudder, and the right elevator.
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and a nose over. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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