20260330003289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Marcil Gerry SPORTSMAN 2+2 · Cordova, AK · March 30, 2026

Date: March 30, 2026 · 14:45 local
Place: Cordova, AK
Airport: Cordova Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N212PX
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC26LA023
Reported as: Marcil Gerry Sportsman 2+2
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 90 total23 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N212PXRegistered now · Marcil Gerry SPORTSMAN 2+2S/N 1133 · Built 2005 Airframe modelMarcil Gerry SPORTSMAN 2+2 Engine modelLycoming IO-360-A1BReciprocating

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.

At the beginning of runway 24, the pilot touched down 2 points and pressed the tires into the ground. He observed 2-3 inches of soft snow and the ground firm underneath which would not typically be an issue to land in. He then committed to landing, lifting back into the air and cutting the power and touching down 200-300 feet down from where he tested. He touched down 3-point and shortly after touchdown the snow became deeper, roughly 6-8 inches, possibly from wind drifting. This caused increased drag on the main gear and rapid deceleration. The tail began lifting into the air, and with stick full back he kept it from going over for 150-200 feet. The tail rose slowly as we decelerated, but he progressively lost control authority due to low air speed over the control surfaces. Once the prop contacted the ground, he went over very quickly at about 25MPH, coming to rest fully upside-down.

As the FAA filed it

AT THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 24, THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN 2 POINTS AND PRESSED THE TIRES INTO THE GROUND. HE OBSERVED 2-3 INCHES OF SOFT SNOW AND THE GROUND FIRM UNDERNEATH WHICH WOULD NOT TYPICALLY BE AN ISSUE TO LAND IN. HE THEN COMMITTED TO LANDING, LIFTING BACK INTO THE AIR AND CUTTING THE POWER AND TOUCHING DOWN 200-300 FEET DOWN FROM WHERE HE TESTED. HE TOUCHED DOWN 3-POINT AND SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE SNOW BECAME DEEPER, ROUGHLY 6-8 INCHES, POSSIBLY FROM WIND DRIFTING. THIS CAUSED INCREASED DRAG ON THE MAIN GEAR AND RAPID DECELERATION. THE TAIL BEGAN LIFTING INTO THE AIR, AND WITH STICK FULL BACK HE KEPT IT FROM GOING OVER FOR 150-200 FEET. THE TAIL ROSE SLOWLY AS WE DECELERATED, BUT HE PROGRESSIVELY LOST CONTROL AUTHORITY DUE TO LOW AIR SPEED OVER THE CONTROL SURFACES. ONCE THE PROP CONTACTED THE GROUND, HE WENT OVER VERY QUICKLY AT ABOUT 25MPH, COMING TO REST FULLY UPSIDE-DOWN.

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 ANC26LA023Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCordova, AKThe pilot’s decision to land on an unsuitable snow-covered runway and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll which resulted in a nose over.Mar 30, 2026 · Substantial damage