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Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-12 · Charlottesville, VA · February 7, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 7, 2025 · 16:30 local
Place
Charlottesville, VA
Airport
Charlottesville-Albemarle
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2913M
Reported as
Piper PA-12
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
22,631 total85 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days
N2913MRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-1444 · Built 1946Airframe modelPiper PA-12Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

On 02/07/2025 at 1630 local time, pilot had incident where he suffered a prop strike to his Piper cub PA-12 causing it to teeter nose down on the ramp in vicinity of hotel taxiway, on Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (kcho). Investigation revealed pilot was attempting to avoid collision with oncoming aircraft by stepping on brakes to stop his cub prior to entering a narrow taxiway. Pilot applied too much pressure in a rapid manner, causing his plane to abruptly stop. The forward momentum of the aircraft prior to brake application created a tangential force which brought the nose of the aircraft into a downward arc allowing the prop to strike the aggregate asphalt. The first striking blade “dug in” to the surface material bringing the nose forward to a complete stop with both prop blades striking the ramp surface. Pilot stated that this incident was strictly his fault and due to his error in not having better feel for these new high performance brakes that the previous owner had installed on the ac. Investigation concluded the same.

As the FAA filed it

ON 02/07/2025 AT 1630 LOCAL TIME, PILOT HAD INCIDENT WHERE HE SUFFERED A PROP STRIKE TO HIS PIPER CUB PA-12 CAUSING IT TO TEETER NOSE DOWN ON THE RAMP IN VICINITY OF HOTEL TAXIWAY, ON CHARLOTTESVILLE-ALBEMARLE AIRPORT (KCHO). INVESTIGATION REVEALED PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO AVOID COLLISION WITH ONCOMING AIRCRAFT BY STEPPING ON BRAKES TO STOP HIS CUB PRIOR TO ENTERING A NARROW TAXIWAY. PILOT APPLIED TOO MUCH PRESSURE IN A RAPID MANNER, CAUSING HIS PLANE TO ABRUPTLY STOP. THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO BRAKE APPLICATION CREATED A TANGENTIAL FORCE WHICH BROUGHT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT INTO A DOWNWARD ARC ALLOWING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE AGGREGATE ASPHALT. THE FIRST STRIKING BLADE “DUG IN” TO THE SURFACE MATERIAL BRINGING THE NOSE FORWARD TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH BOTH PROP BLADES STRIKING THE RAMP SURFACE. PILOT STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS STRICTLY HIS FAULT AND DUE TO HIS ERROR IN NOT HAVING BETTER FEEL FOR THESE NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKES THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD INSTALLED ON THE AC. INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THE SAME.