According to the pilot, he intended to perform a touch and go “to roll the tires” on a beach in Old Harbor, Alaska.
He reported that he touched down, added power, and became airborne. Shortly after becoming airborne the Piper PA-18-150 rotated 90° to the right, and the left wing hit the ground.
The airplane came to rest upright on an embankment and sustained substantial damage to the left wing, empennage, and elevator.
Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, resulting in a collision with terrain.
NTSB Identification: GAA16CA021
This October 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
“Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, resulting in a collision with terrain.”
Ok, touches down, adds power, gets airborne and “rotated 90° to the right, and the left wing hit the ground.”
Something about physics strikes me as missing here. How does an airplane rotate 90 to the right and the left wing hit the ground? Something has to “yank” that plane around 90 degrees and hold it so that the plane has to roll left so that the wing can make contact with the ground.
Theory: The right main became fouled with a rope. Said rope then dropped away from the right main gear such that it was it was not on the plane when the plane was examined.
I wonder if anyone went back and looked for a rope or chain or wire, etc. that could have done this, and would not have been visible from the air?