20060528010419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Wasilla, AK · May 28, 2006

Date: May 28, 2006 · 16:00 local
Place: Wasilla, AK
Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2945M
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC06CA065
Reported as: Piper PA12
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,200 total90 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days

N2945MRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-1344 · Built 1946 Airframe modelPiper PA-12 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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) Pilot was landing his PA-12 off-airport near a gold mine approximately 18 miles northeast of Wasilla, Alaska. On his overflight the windsocks from a nearby heliport indicated calm winds. Just prior to touchdown he encountered a tailwind and the aircraft settled and touched down hard. He elected to abort the landing and go around. The area had an uphill slope. During the go-around manuever the aircraft became airborne briefly before settling into the ground. The surface was snow-covered and after touchdown the aircraft flipped over. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the engine suffered sudden stoppage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS LANDING HIS PA-12 OFF-AIRPORT NEAR A GOLD MINE APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF WASILLA, ALASKA. ON HIS OVERFLIGHT THE WINDSOCKS FROM A NEARBY HELIPORT INDICATED CALM WINDS. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN HE ENCOUNTERED A TAILWIND AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED AND TOUCHED DOWN HARD. HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE LANDING AND GO AROUND. THE AREA HAD AN UPHILL SLOPE. DURING THE GO-AROUND MANUEVER THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE BRIEFLY BEFORE SETTLING INTO THE GROUND. THE SURFACE WAS SNOW-COVERED AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE ENGINE SUFFERED SUDDEN STOPPAGE.

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 ANC06CA065Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportWasilla, AKThe pilot's inadequate compensation for a tailwind during the landing flare, which resulted in an in-flight collision with snow-covered terrain during an aborted landing. Factors contributing to the accident were a tailwind and rising terrain.May 29, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2945M · 1

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

Accident 20110925023199ATakeoff: Departure Roll · Talkeetna, AKOn September 25, 2011, [privacy data omitted], acting as pilot in command of N2945M, a PA-12, failed to accurately judge aircraft performance on takeoff from an unimproved strip, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft and no injuries to airman or two…Sep 25, 2011 · Substantial damage