Piper PA-18-180 N5373Y accident near Glennallen, Alaska

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during a drag maneuver, which resulted in an overrun and subsequent impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, before landing his wheel/ski-equipped airplane at a snow-covered airstrip, he elected to “drag” the site, which involved doing a series of touch-and-go landings to determine the snow conditions before doing a full stop landing. He said that after completing two successful drags on the untouched snow, during the third, he inadvertently allowed the airspeed to decay, and he was unable to get airborne again. The airplane subsequently passed the end of the airstrip and impacted a snow-covered gravel berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC23LA018 for the full record.