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19990307014119A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Big Lake, AK · March 7, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 7, 1999 · 15:40 local
Place
Big Lake, AK
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4040M
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA031
Reported as
Piper PA12
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A1A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total40 in this make and model130 in the last 90 days
N4040MRegistration cancelled Jan 31, 2020 · Piper PA-12S/N 12-2923 · Built 1947Airframe modelPiper PA-12Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On March 7, 1999, about 1540 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped, Piper PA-12, N4040M, sustained substantial damage while landing on the frozen surface of flathorn lake, approximately 20 miles southwest of Big Lake, Alaska. The airline transport pilot and the two passengers on board were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a local, personal flight under 14 CFR part 91. The flight departed anderson lake, palmer, Alaska, about 1500. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on March 8, that he saw other airplanes landing on flathorn lake, and decided to land as well. During landing the airplane's tires sank into soft snow which covered the lake surface, and the airplane nosed over. (.4) the pilot of the wheel equipped airplane said he saw other airplanes landing on the surface of the frozen lake. He decided to land in the same area. The pilot said that during the landing roll the snow was initially hard packed as it had appeared from the air. The wheels then contacted soft snow, and the airplane nosed over.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON MARCH 7, 1999, ABOUT 1540 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED, PIPER PA-12, N4040M, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING ON THE FROZEN SURFACE OF FLATHORN LAKE, APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BIG LAKE, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND THE TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A LOCAL, PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ANDERSON LAKE, PALMER, ALASKA, ABOUT 1500. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON MARCH 8, THAT HE SAW OTHER AIRPLANES LANDING ON FLATHORN LAKE, AND DECIDED TO LAND AS WELL. DURING LANDING THE AIRPLANE'S TIRES SANK INTO SOFT SNOW WHICH COVERED THE LAKE SURFACE, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. (.4) THE PILOT OF THE WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE SAID HE SAW OTHER AIRPLANES LANDING ON THE SURFACE OF THE FROZEN LAKE. HE DECIDED TO LAND IN THE SAME AREA. THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE SNOW WAS INITIALLY HARD PACKED AS IT HAD APPEARED FROM THE AIR. THE WHEELS THEN CONTACTED SOFT SNOW, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC99LA031Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBig Lake, AKThe pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing the wheel equipped airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the soft snow covering the frozen lake.Mar 7, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4040M · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20171122019699ATakeoff: Climb Out · Dickinson, NDAirmen executed a short field takeoff from an off airport location. The location was an industrial equipment yard. The takeoff area was a packed gravel surface with bumps and large ruts and has a rise in incline of about 12 ft from the start of takeoff area…Nov 22, 2017 · DestroyedAccident 19770916031339AFinal Approach · Anchorage, AKLanding on sandbar in susitna river.Sep 16, 1977 · Substantial damage