No fatalities

15 Jun 2011: PIPER PA-18A — JOHN M. MILLER — McCarthy, AK

McCarthy, AK, United States

On 15 Jun 2011, a PIPER PA-18A operated by JOHN M. MILLER was involved in an aviation accident near McCarthy, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft during taxi operations while encountering gusty wind conditions. 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 tailwheel aircraft sustained substantial damage after a wind gust caused it to nose over while back-taxiing at a remote site.

What happened

On June 15, 2011, a Piper PA-18A was back-taxiing at a remote, gravel-covered, off-airport site near McCarthy, Alaska. During the taxi, a gust of wind lifted the tail of the aircraft, causing the airplane to nose over. The aircraft, registration N1858A, sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. There were no injuries resulting from the event.

The investigation

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies present in the aircraft that would have prevented normal operation prior to the accident.

Probable cause

The pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft during taxi operations while encountering gusty wind conditions.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome