20040322005049I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Yakima, WA · March 22, 2004

Date: March 22, 2004 · 14:30 local
Place: Yakima, WA
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7187Z
Reported as: Piper PA18150
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,700 total500 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

N7187ZRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8299 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine modelLycoming O-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Airman landed on rough road on top of ridgeline for physiological reasons. There were 4 wheelers in the area, so he taxied over a 6-8 inch berm and was turning the aircraft around to park when his left wheel caught on a rock that was larger than it appeared. He attempted to maintain control, but slowly nosed over catching the prop in the dirt and damaging the engine and cowling. The airman's competence and skill in a tailwheel aircraft is recognized by this office. He was counseled about offsite ground operations and he indicated that he would use different parking procedures in the future.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRMAN LANDED ON ROUGH ROAD ON TOP OF RIDGELINE FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS. THERE WERE 4 WHEELERS IN THE AREA, SO HE TAXIED OVER A 6-8 INCH BERM AND WAS TURNING THE AIRCRAFT AROUND TO PARK WHEN HIS LEFT WHEEL CAUGHT ON A ROCK THAT WAS LARGER THAN IT APPEARED. HE ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, BUT SLOWLY NOSED OVER CATCHING THE PROP IN THE DIRT AND DAMAGING THE ENGINE AND COWLING. THE AIRMAN'S COMPETENCE AND SKILL IN A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT IS RECOGNIZED BY THIS OFFICE. HE WAS COUNSELED ABOUT OFFSITE GROUND OPERATIONS AND HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD USE DIFFERENT PARKING PROCEDURES IN THE FUTURE.