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Atlas / NTSB / ANC93LA137

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ANC93LA137

1993-08-07 NORTHWAY, Alaska, United States Airport · ORT None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N4485A

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-18A 150

Year of manufacture

1956 · 37 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

1 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19930816

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A56B5D

Registrant of record

CRABB PHILIP E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON TOUCHDOWN. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

On August 7, 1993, at 1332 Alaska daylight time, the commercial pilot of a tundra-tire-equipped Piper PA-18 Supercub airplane, N4485A, lost control on landing and struck trees at the edge of the runway. The accident occurred at Northway, Alaska following a personal flight which had originated at 1200 at Gulkana. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot, as sole occupant was not injured, however the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot told investigators that gusty crosswinds "picked up his wing," and the airplane hit the trees on the edge of the runway. He said that the airplane had been operating normally, and that it was equipped with 29 inch GAR-AERO balloon tires. COMMERCIAL PILOT OF SUPERCUB EQUIPPED WITH 29 INCH BALLOON TIRES LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF AIRPLANE ON LANDING IN GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS. AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES ALONG SIDE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1993_ANC93LA137.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.