# Accident 20210906015399A: Piper PA-12, Beluga, AK, September 6, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 6, 2021, 01:22 local time
- Place: Beluga, AK
- Airport: Off Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.2723° N, 152.0650° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2723&lon=-152.0650&mi=10
- Aircraft: N149AK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N149AK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-12
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,500 total, 250 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC21LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA085) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210906015399A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT TOOK OFF FROM MERRILL FIELD AT 1229PM. ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT OFF AIRPORT STRIP (3500 MSL UPSLOPE, ONE WAY IN, ONE WAY OUT). TIME OF ACCIDENT WAS 1:22PM.  FIRST TIME AT THIS LOCATION. PILOT COULD SEE PREVIOUS LANDING TRACKS. MADE A PASS OVER STRIP AND ASSESSED THE WIND. DUE TO THE UP SLOPE NATURE OF THE STRIP PILOT HAD TO LAND WITH A TAIL WIND. WIND OVER STRIP TURNED OUT TO BE LESS THEN WHAT THE PILOT FOUND AFTER LANDING. WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE LIGHT WIND WAS IN FACT STRONG SURFACE WIND. PILOT WAS TOO SLOW ON APPROACH WITH THE TAIL WIND AND ABORTED TAKEOFF TOO LATE. DUE TO THE UP SLOPE STRIP AND SLOW SPEED, PILOT WAS UNABLE TO DEVELOP SUFFICIENT CLIMB RATE TO GO AROUND. MAIN LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO COLLAPSE THE RIGHT GEAR LEG. AIRCRAFT INSPECTION FOUND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND RIGHT WING.

SAS TASK T-AL03-FY22-0029

SAS COMPLIANCE COUNSELING AL03202200317

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC21LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA085), Sep 6, 2021: Piper PA-12 (N149AK), Tyonek, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of inappropriate terrain and decision to land with a tailwind, which resulted in a loss of directional control, an attempted go-around, and subsequent impact with terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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