| Crash location | 60.939166°N, 145.955556°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Valdez, AK
61.130833°N, 146.348333°W 18.7 miles away |
| Tail number | N91134 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 16 Aug 2011 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-18-180 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot said he was attempting to land a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site, which was surrounded by higher terrain on all sides. Before beginning his approach, he determined the wind conditions, and then planned an approach into a 10-knot headwind. He said while on final approach to the site, he "side-slipped" the airplane to steepen the approach, and a sudden wind shift caused the airplane to descend faster than anticipated. He was unable to arrest the descent, and the airplane's main landing gear wheels collided with a mound about 150 feet short of the intended touchdown point. The airplane bounced as the pilot added engine power to cushion the landing, and as it touched down again, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper approach path, which resulted in a runway undershoot.