20070201001599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Glennallen, AK · February 1, 2007

Date: February 1, 2007 · 09:45 local
Place: Glennallen, AK
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3233M
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC07LA018
Reported as: Piper PA12
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,010 total1,505 in this make and model42 in the last 90 days

N3233MRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-2027 · Built 1947 Airframe modelPiper PA-12 Engine modelLycoming O-320-A2BReciprocating

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) The pilot stated while maneuvering for landing on a remote lake, the aircraft controls became ineffective and the left wing dropped and contacted the snow. The pilot suspects that a small wind may have occurred just as he passed over a tree line on short final to landing causing the aircraft to stall at an altitude approximately fifteen (15) feet above the surface. The pilot stated he was too low to recover. When the wing contacted the surface it caused the aircraft to spin sideways causing the landing gear to collapse. The aircraft stayed upright and there were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED WHILE MANEUVERING FOR LANDING ON A REMOTE LAKE, THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS BECAME INEFFECTIVE AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND CONTACTED THE SNOW. THE PILOT SUSPECTS THAT A SMALL WIND MAY HAVE OCCURRED JUST AS HE PASSED OVER A TREE LINE ON SHORT FINAL TO LANDING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO STALL AT AN ALTITUDE APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN (15) FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS TOO LOW TO RECOVER. WHEN THE WING CONTACTED THE SURFACE IT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN SIDEWAYS CAUSING THE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE AIRCRAFT STAYED UPRIGHT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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 ANC07LA018Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGlennallen, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to preclude a stall while maneuvering, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent collision with terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were variable wind conditions, and an inadvertent…Feb 1, 2007 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3233M · 3

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

Accident 20170826013649ALanding: Touchdown · Gulkana, AKThe pilot-in-charge (PIC) of aircraft N3233M flying part 135 operated by wrangell mountain air (WM9C) departed windy ridge air strip (nw of Mt. Sanford) for Gulkana (gkn). Engine failed due to fuel starvation. Aircraft crashed approximately 1 mile northeast…Aug 26, 2017 · Substantial damage Accident 20100114025939ATaxi · Glenallen, AKAircraft landed on frozen lake, during taxi the right landing gear struck a unforseen snow covered snow bank damaging the right gear attachment point.Jan 14, 2010 · Substantial damage Accident 20020902024249AChickaloon, AK(-23) The pilot stated the airplane was empty and the c.g was at the most forward edge of the envelope. He was too slow on the approach to landing and when the aircraft stalled it bounced back into the air and with the forward c.g and lack of airspeed the…Sep 2, 2002 · Substantial damage