20250710008359A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Palmer, AK · July 10, 2025

Date: July 10, 2025 · 17:00 local
Place: Palmer, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8979D
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC25LA075
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N8979DRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7509053 · Built 1975 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine modelLycoming O-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

Pilot approached the landing strip with two notches of flaps, and touched down on the spot he picked. He dropped flaps once on the ground and started braking. As pilot started braking aircraft went through a swell and became airborne again. Pilot applied more brakes and once the aircraft touched down again pilot had too much braking and flipped the plane over its nose.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT APPROACHED THE LANDING STRIP WITH TWO NOTCHES OF FLAPS, AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SPOT HE PICKED. HE DROPPED FLAPS ONCE ON THE GROUND AND STARTED BRAKING. AS PILOT STARTED BRAKING AIRCRAFT WENT THROUGH A SWELL AND BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN. PILOT APPLIED MORE BRAKES AND ONCE THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN PILOT HAD TOO MUCH BRAKING AND FLIPPED THE PLANE OVER ITS NOSE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC25LA075Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPalmer, AKThe pilot's excessive braking during the landing roll, resulting in a nose over.Jul 11, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8979D · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20140810015479ALanding: Rollout · Talkeetna, AKSummary In the afternoon of Sunday August 10th, 2014, super cub N8979D nosed over and came to a rest upside down after landing on a gravel bar. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, wings, propeller,…Aug 10, 2014 · Substantial damage