Port Heiden, AK, USA
N9062D
Piper PA-18
The private pilot reported that while practicing beach landings he made a low, slow pass over a beach to check its suitability for landing. After determining the beach was suitable for landing, he made a left turn to the beach for landing. He added flaps in the turn, and as he turned final, he realized he was too low and too slow. He added power, but the airplane impacted terrain short of the intended landing area. The landing gear collapsed, and the wings and fuselage impacted the ground. The pilot stated there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.
On August 1, 2005, about 1045 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-18 airplane, N9062D, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain while landing on a beach, about 50 miles southwest of Port Heiden, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The private certificated pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at a private gravel airstrip northeast of the accident site, about 1015. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on August 2, the pilot said he borrowed the airplane from a lodge owner to practice beach landings. He said he flew low over the beach, and determined it was suitable for landing. After the low pass, he said he made a left turn to the beach for landing. He said he added flaps, but when he rolled out of the turn to final he was "too low and out of airspeed." He said he added power, but the airplane landed hard, and the main landing gear collapsed. The pilot said the airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and fuselage. He said prior to the accident there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The pilot's misjudged distance/altitude during final approach, which resulted in an undershoot and an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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