No fatalities

6 Jun 2009: PIPER PA-18-150 — Wiederkehr Air Inc. — Talkeetna, AK

Talkeetna, AK, United States

On 6 Jun 2009, a PIPER PA-18-150 operated by Wiederkehr Air Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Talkeetna, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot allowed the airspeed to get too low on final approach, resulting in a stall and hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A commercial pilot on a Part 135 passenger flight to an off-airport site allowed airspeed to get too low on final approach, causing a stall. The stall recovery resulted in a hard landing that collapsed the main landing gear and damaged the left wing spar.

Incident Details

A commercial pilot was conducting a passenger flight to an off-airport site under Title 14, CFR Part 135. According to the pilot, during the final approach to land, he allowed the airspeed to decrease excessively, leading the airplane to enter a stall. The pilot stated that he initiated a stall recovery maneuver, but the airplane touched down hard, causing the main landing gear to collapse.

Pilot Statement

The pilot reported that there were no known mechanical issues with the airplane before the accident. He attributed the event to his own failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach.

Aircraft Damage

As a result of the hard landing and subsequent collapse of the main landing gear, the left wing spar sustained damage. The extent of damage to other components was not specified in the pilot's account.

Investigation Notes

No further details regarding the aircraft type, registration, number of occupants, or injuries were provided in the source. The investigation is based solely on the pilot's statement.

Probable cause

The pilot allowed the airspeed to get too low on final approach, resulting in a stall and hard landing.

Contributing factors

Airspeed — Not attained/maintainedPilot