Accident Overview
On June 21, 2018, at approximately 1200 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150 airplane, registration N1979P, sustained substantial damage when it crashed near Yellow Pine, Idaho. The pilot suffered serious injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Sequence
The accident airplane was part of a flight of three aircraft that departed Cabin Creek US Forest Service Airport (I08) in Big Creek Ranger Station, Idaho, en route to Dewey Moore Airstrip in Cascade, Idaho—a remote, mountainous backcountry strip.
One of the pilots in the group reported that as they approached Dewey Moore, the lead pilot surveyed the area and saw no other traffic. The lead and this pilot landed uneventfully, noting “excellent conditions, calm air, and the runway in good condition.” This pilot had landed there the previous day. After parking at the top of the airstrip facing down the runway, he could easily see the approach. He asked the accident pilot if he had been there before; the accident pilot said he had not. The witness then reminded him to fly “low over the creek.”
When the accident airplane came into view, it was higher than the lead airplane had been on its approach. As the accident airplane nearly reached the extended runway centerline, the pilot added power, causing the airplane to pitch up steeply. It continued flying upstream of a nearby creek for about half a mile with the nose up and “not climbing well, if at all.” The airplane then entered a left turn away from the witness’s position and directly over the creek. The left wing dipped, and the airplane entered a left spin. The witness observed the airplane make 1¼ left rotations before descending out of sight and impacting terrain. The engine sounded like it was developing full power from the go-around until impact.
Wreckage and Mechanical Findings
The wreckage came to rest on sloping terrain. The airframe and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot’s brother and another witness pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Statement and Airstrip Information
The pilot does not recall the events leading to the accident. Dewey Moore Airstrip is situated at 4,494 ft mean sea level. Its single gravel runway, 28/10, is a one-way in, one-way out strip: landings are made on runway 28 and departures from runway 10. The plan view remarks recommend the airstrip “only by mountain proficient pilots who have had a checkout specific to the airstrip.”
In an Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association video made after the pilot recovered from his injuries, the pilot stated he was negligent in planning for the flight, including not obtaining a briefing on the airstrip. He also mentioned his lack of proficiency at the time of the accident.