Accident Details
On June 20, 2008, about 1600 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, registered N91256, sustained substantial damage when it collided with an embankment and trees during an aborted landing on a remote gravel bar approximately 16.5 miles west-northwest of Willow, Alaska. The private certificated pilot and the sole passenger were not injured.
The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Account
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 24, the pilot reported that he was landing toward the east on a gravel bar in the area of Neil Lake. He stated that he first made a low pass over the landing area, and when he added power to climb, the engine responded without hesitation.
On his next approach to the gravel bar, he touched down but was not satisfied with his placement and decided to abort the landing. He added engine power to take off, but the engine sputtered. The airplane skipped across an area of water and collided with an embankment and trees, about 400 feet from the initial aborted landing spot. The airplane nosed over and received structural damage to the wings.
Examination
The airplane and engine were not examined by NTSB or FAA personnel.