What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 02 January 2023 at approx 1457 local, a Piper aircraft model PA-18-150 with one person on board landed on nurphy st., an adjoining/perpendicular road to mcgahan industrial airstrip, AK73, in Nikiski, AK. The airstrip was unplowed at the time, and nurphy st. was plowed. Upon landing the aircraft drifted to the right and contacted deeper snow pulled right into the snowberm and the aircraft nosed over, causing substantial aircraft damage and minor injuries to the pilot. From pilot's written statement: 'returning from kenai I made an approach to land on nurphy road on the north side of 07/25 runway from south to north. Due to low/flat light conditions I inadvertantly drifted too FAR right after touching down which caused the right side tire to come into contact with unplowed snow next to the snow burm. I applied left rudder and brake on left wheel with no effect due to no traction on tundra tires and warm conditions and too slow for rudder effect, the plane continued drifting right into the snow burm which caused the plane to nose over and become inverted. Runway 07/25 was not available for wheels as it is unplowed for ski equiped aricraft use.'
As the FAA filed it
ON 02 JANUARY 2023 AT APPROX 1457 LOCAL, A PIPER AIRCRAFT MODEL PA-18-150 WITH ONE PERSON ON BOARD LANDED ON NURPHY ST., AN ADJOINING/PERPENDICULAR ROAD TO MCGAHAN INDUSTRIAL AIRSTRIP, AK73, IN NIKISKI, AK. THE AIRSTRIP WAS UNPLOWED AT THE TIME, AND NURPHY ST. WAS PLOWED. UPON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT AND CONTACTED DEEPER SNOW PULLED RIGHT INTO THE SNOWBERM AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND MINOR INJURIES TO THE PILOT. FROM PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT: 'RETURNING FROM KENAI I MADE AN APPROACH TO LAND ON NURPHY ROAD ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 07/25 RUNWAY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. DUE TO LOW/FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS I INADVERTANTLY DRIFTED TOO FAR RIGHT AFTER TOUCHING DOWN WHICH CAUSED THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH UNPLOWED SNOW NEXT TO THE SNOW BURM. I APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND BRAKE ON LEFT WHEEL WITH NO EFFECT DUE TO NO TRACTION ON TUNDRA TIRES AND WARM CONDITIONS AND TOO SLOW FOR RUDDER EFFECT, THE PLANE CONTINUED DRIFTING RIGHT INTO THE SNOW BURM WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO NOSE OVER AND BECOME INVERTED. RUNWAY 07/25 WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WHEELS AS IT IS UNPLOWED FOR SKI EQUIPED ARICRAFT USE.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.