# Accident 20260328006929A: Piper PA-12, Spanaway, WA, March 28, 2026 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 28, 2026, 12:00 local time - Place: Spanaway, WA - Airport: Shady Acres - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 47.0704° N, 122.3711° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.0704&lon=-122.3711&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3484M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3484M) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-12 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 509 total, 460 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA142) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260328006929A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT 15:53 I ANNOUNCED RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR 34 AND REDUCED MY POWER AND SLOWED MY SPEED TO 60MPH, ADJUSTING TO 2 NOTCHES OF FLAPS AND TRIM TO MAINTAIN 1500 FT MSL AND CHECKED THE NEED FOR CARB HEAT. ONCE ABEAM MY TOUCH DOWN POINT, I REDUCED POWER TO IDLE AND MAINTAINED PITCH FOR 60MPH AND A 500FT/MIN DESCENT. ONCE 45 DEG FROM MY TOUCHDOWN POINT AND 1200FT MSL I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS TURNING BASE. I ANNOUNCED MY TURN FOR FINAL AND ADDED MY 3RD NOTCH OF FLAPS AT 950FT MSL. I NOTED THAT I WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH AND PERFORMED A SHORT SLIP TO REDUCE SPEED AND ALTITUDE WHILE STAYING CLEAR OF THE TREES. I HELD SPEED & DESCENT TOWARDS MY AIM POINT OF THE THRESHOLD UNTIL OVER THE THRESHOLD. I FLARED SLIGHTLY TO A WHEEL LANDING ATTITUDE AND HELD THE AIRPLANE OFF TO LET IT SETTLE TO THE GROUND. WHILE ROLLING OUT, CENTERED ON THE RUNWAY I NOTED MY SPEED AND APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN PRIOR TO LETTING THE TAIL SETTLE TO THE GROUND. FROM MY TAIL LEVEL ATTITUDE AND MY CONTINUED ROLL, THE NARROW RUNWAY, TREES AT THE NORTH END AND PERCEIVED DROP OFF, I FEARED THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH STOPPING DISTANCE. I APPLIED MORE BRAKE. I FELT THE TAIL RISE AND NOSE TIP AND RATHER THAN LIFT OFF THE BRAKE TO ARREST ATTITUDE I HELD THE BRAKES AND ROLLED OVER ON TO THE NOSE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP AT 15:55. MY SHOULDER HARNESS HELD ME OFF THE PANEL AND I DID NOT STRIKE MY HEAD. ONCE THE AIRPLANE SLIDE TO A STOP I TURNED OFF MY LIGHTS, THE MASTER AND ALTERNATOR. I ALSO TURNED OFF MY RADIO AND TRANSPONDER. I OPENED MY DOOR, REMOVED MY HELMET, AND CLIMBED OUT TO THE STEP, THEN JUMPED TO THE GROUND. 2 WOMEN MET ME AT THE DOOR AND ASKED IF I WAS OK. A MAN ARRIVED AND WE LIFTED THE AIRPLANE BY ITS PROP AND SET IT BACK ON ITS TAIL. THIS STOPPED THE FUEL FROM LEAKING FROM THE OVERFLOWS. HOWEVER, FUEL CONTINUED TO LEAK FROM THE LEFT WING, WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FUSELAGE. I REACHED BACK INTO THE AIRPLANE AND TURNED OFF BOTH FUEL VALVES. I USED MY PHONE TO FIND THE NTSB PHONE NUMBER AND CALLED NTSB AT 16:07. I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE AND TEXTED THEM TO NTSB AT 16:39 AND AFTER WHICH I RECEIVED APPROVAL TO REMOVE THE AIRPLANE FROM THE RUNWAY. WE PUSHED IT OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE WEST OF THE FIELD. WHILE I TIED DOWN THE AIRPLANE, 3 MEN ASSISTED IN REMOVING THE FUEL FROM THE LEFT TANK. I CALLED MY US SPECIALTY INSURANCE AT 17:01 ## 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 WPR26LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA142), Mar 28, 2026: Piper PA-12 (N3484M), Spanaway, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s excessive application of brakes, which resulted in the airplane tipping forward onto its nose. ## Other reports on N3484M (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20210730012119I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210730012119I), Jul 30, 2021: Piper PA-12 (N3484M), Prineville, OR, Minor damage. During landing rollout on rwy 29, the pilot applied brakes with the right brake seeming to stick causing the airplane to veer towards the edge of the rwy. The… - [Incident 19971105041429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971105041429I), Nov 5, 1997: Piper PA12 (N3484M), Trout Dale, OR, Minor damage. Wind gust picked up tail resulting in a prop strike. Turning off runway. - [Incident 19920320011539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920320011539I), Mar 20, 1992: Piper PA12 (N3484M), Napa, CA, Minor damage. Pilot landed long. Attempted sharp turn to keep from going into overrun. Left gear collapsed. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.