20060307003089I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Chris A-1 · Dillingham, AK · March 7, 2006

Date: March 7, 2006 · 12:15 local
Place: Dillingham, AK
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N96009
Reported as: Chris A1
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 430 total395 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N96009Registered now · Christen Industries A-1S/N 1124 · Built 1990 Airframe modelChristen Industries A-1 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-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) During a pleasure flight conducted under FAR part 91, the owner and pilot of N96009, a Chris A-1, caused the aircraft to nose over resulting in the propeller striking the ground. The private rated pilot reported that while landing on a frozen lake the airplanes tires (large tundra tires) sank into approximately an 8 inch depression that was filled with loose snow. He reported that it was VMC conditions with very little wind. The aircraft had slowed to less than walking speed when the tires hit the depression causing the aircraft attitude to pitch down to the point where the propeller struck the frozen lake surface. The aircraft then settled back onto its landing gear. The total damage to the aircraft was limited to the propeller.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING A PLEASURE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER FAR PART 91, THE OWNER AND PILOT OF N96009, A CHRIS A-1, CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER RESULTING IN THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE GROUND. THE PRIVATE RATED PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE LANDING ON A FROZEN LAKE THE AIRPLANES TIRES (LARGE TUNDRA TIRES) SANK INTO APPROXIMATELY AN 8 INCH DEPRESSION THAT WAS FILLED WITH LOOSE SNOW. HE REPORTED THAT IT WAS VMC CONDITIONS WITH VERY LITTLE WIND. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SLOWED TO LESS THAN WALKING SPEED WHEN THE TIRES HIT THE DEPRESSION CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE TO PITCH DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE FROZEN LAKE SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED BACK ONTO ITS LANDING GEAR. THE TOTAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIMITED TO THE PROPELLER.