What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot provided statement.
Started aircraft. Performed after start checklist. Received weather information from Talkeetna flight service on 135.200 mhz. Released parking brake and began taxi from south transient parking to runway 19.
Released parking brake. Called tower.
Added full takeoff power. Did not use flaps for takeoff. Departed runway 19 at approximately 0855 Alaska time.
Short final, over threshold, set flaps full 40 degrees. Performed short and soft field landing technique, setting down gently, without bounce, three point attitude, full back elevator control. Aircraft initially felt normal. Approximately 2 seconds after touchdown, aircraft tail began lifting off of the ground surface. I confirmed my feet were on the floor, brakes not actuated, maintained full rear elevator control. When the aircraft transitioned from damp grass to dry dirt/gravel, the tail lifted rapidly, ultimately causing the nosecone and propeller to contact the ground. The plane slowed its rate of tail lifting, but continued over center resulting in the full inversion of the aircraft onto its back.
Upon reentering the plane, I realized the parking brake had not fully released and was caught on the bottom of the panel. After flipping the plane back to its upright position, I attempted to set and release the parking brake multiple times. The parking brake would never return to fully 'off' or released position without jostling the cable. No damage was indicated in the parking brake system after the accident. It is my opinion that the parking brake system had become 'sticky', requiring lubricant.
Due to taking off (full power) without flaps in a lightly loaded aircraft, I did not notice the dragging of the partially actuated parking brake. Landing (power idle) with full, 40 degrees of flaps caused the tail of the aircraft to remain in a higher position, due to the large change in the center of lift and forward pitching moment and lack of air over the horizontal and elevator.
08/08/2019: Waiting for a call back from PIC to complete the report.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT PROVIDED STATEMENT.
STARTED AIRCRAFT. PERFORMED AFTER START CHECKLIST. RECEIVED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM TALKEETNA FLIGHT SERVICE ON 135.200 MHZ. RELEASED PARKING BRAKE AND BEGAN TAXI FROM SOUTH TRANSIENT PARKING TO RUNWAY 19.
RELEASED PARKING BRAKE. CALLED TOWER.
ADDED FULL TAKEOFF POWER. DID NOT USE FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF. DEPARTED RUNWAY 19 AT APPROXIMATELY 0855 ALASKA TIME.
SHORT FINAL, OVER THRESHOLD, SET FLAPS FULL 40 DEGREES. PERFORMED SHORT AND SOFT FIELD LANDING TECHNIQUE, SETTING DOWN GENTLY, WITHOUT BOUNCE, THREE POINT ATTITUDE, FULL BACK ELEVATOR CONTROL. AIRCRAFT INITIALLY FELT NORMAL. APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN, AIRCRAFT TAIL BEGAN LIFTING OFF OF THE GROUND SURFACE. I CONFIRMED MY FEET WERE ON THE FLOOR, BRAKES NOT ACTUATED, MAINTAINED FULL REAR ELEVATOR CONTROL. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TRANSITIONED FROM DAMP GRASS TO DRY DIRT/GRAVEL, THE TAIL LIFTED RAPIDLY, ULTIMATELY CAUSING THE NOSECONE AND PROPELLER TO CONTACT THE GROUND. THE PLANE SLOWED ITS RATE OF TAIL LIFTING, BUT CONTINUED OVER CENTER RESULTING IN THE FULL INVERSION OF THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS BACK.
UPON REENTERING THE PLANE, I REALIZED THE PARKING BRAKE HAD NOT FULLY RELEASED AND WAS CAUGHT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PANEL. AFTER FLIPPING THE PLANE BACK TO ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, I ATTEMPTED TO SET AND RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE MULTIPLE TIMES. THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD NEVER RETURN TO FULLY 'OFF' OR RELEASED POSITION WITHOUT JOSTLING THE CABLE. NO DAMAGE WAS INDICATED IN THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM HAD BECOME 'STICKY', REQUIRING LUBRICANT.
DUE TO TAKING OFF (FULL POWER) WITHOUT FLAPS IN A LIGHTLY LOADED AIRCRAFT, I DID NOT NOTICE THE DRAGGING OF THE PARTIALLY ACTUATED PARKING BRAKE. LANDING (POWER IDLE) WITH FULL, 40 DEGREES OF FLAPS CAUSED THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO REMAIN IN A HIGHER POSITION, DUE TO THE LARGE CHANGE IN THE CENTER OF LIFT AND FORWARD PITCHING MOMENT AND LACK OF AIR OVER THE HORIZONTAL AND ELEVATOR.
08/08/2019: WAITING FOR A CALL BACK FROM PIC TO COMPLETE THE REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.