What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, October 7th 2023, at 0100Z, a single engine CAW-12 airplane (similar to a Piper PA-12), flipped over on its back during landing at an off-airport location approximately 25 miles northwest of baluga, AK. The pilot and passenger, the only occupants of the aircraft, exited the aircraft without injury. The airplane was operated as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The aircraft received substantial damage from the event. Damage included the propeller, dents in leading edge slats of both wings, tearing of fabric skin on top of both wings, bending damage to one jury strut, and slight damage to the rudder.
The accident occurred in day VMC conditions. The pilot stated he added fuel at wasilla airport (paws) wasilla, Alaska and then proceeded to perform a sightseeing flight around the area near the accident site. The pilot stated he chose the landing location due to its familiarity and that the pilot had recently landed there. The pilot overflew the field to determine no hazards or obstructions and then aligned the aircraft for a normal approach and landing. Upon touchdown of the main gear, the pilot said he felt the main gear was sticking in the landing path and that he could not hold the tail down even with full backpressure on the controls, adding power and staying off the brakes. The tail continued to rise until the propeller contacted the ground and the airplane gently flipped all the way over onto its back. After exiting the aircraft and assessing the damage, the pilot noticed a shift in wind direction from upwind to downwind at about 10 knots along the landing path. He added that the wind shifted several times like this after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7TH 2023, AT 0100Z, A SINGLE ENGINE CAW-12 AIRPLANE (SIMILAR TO A PIPER PA-12), FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK DURING LANDING AT AN OFF-AIRPORT LOCATION APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF BALUGA, AK. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, THE ONLY OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM THE EVENT. DAMAGE INCLUDED THE PROPELLER, DENTS IN LEADING EDGE SLATS OF BOTH WINGS, TEARING OF FABRIC SKIN ON TOP OF BOTH WINGS, BENDING DAMAGE TO ONE JURY STRUT, AND SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER.
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN DAY VMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED FUEL AT WASILLA AIRPORT (PAWS) WASILLA, ALASKA AND THEN PROCEEDED TO PERFORM A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AROUND THE AREA NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT STATED HE CHOSE THE LANDING LOCATION DUE TO ITS FAMILIARITY AND THAT THE PILOT HAD RECENTLY LANDED THERE. THE PILOT OVERFLEW THE FIELD TO DETERMINE NO HAZARDS OR OBSTRUCTIONS AND THEN ALIGNED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN OF THE MAIN GEAR, THE PILOT SAID HE FELT THE MAIN GEAR WAS STICKING IN THE LANDING PATH AND THAT HE COULD NOT HOLD THE TAIL DOWN EVEN WITH FULL BACKPRESSURE ON THE CONTROLS, ADDING POWER AND STAYING OFF THE BRAKES. THE TAIL CONTINUED TO RISE UNTIL THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE GENTLY FLIPPED ALL THE WAY OVER ONTO ITS BACK. AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT AND ASSESSING THE DAMAGE, THE PILOT NOTICED A SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION FROM UPWIND TO DOWNWIND AT ABOUT 10 KNOTS ALONG THE LANDING PATH. HE ADDED THAT THE WIND SHIFTED SEVERAL TIMES LIKE THIS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.