- Date
- May 13, 2000, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7944HPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20000513042269A
- Case key
- 49193
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable taxi area, and excessive taxi speed. A factor associated with this accident was a ditch in the taxi area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that he was 'taxiing pretty fast' on an off airport gravel bar. He indicated that while taxiing, as he was concentrating on the gusty tailwind, the main wheels hit a big bump and ditch which he had not seen, and the tundra tire equipped airplane nosed over. The pilot stated that he should have watched the area in front of where he was taxiing, and should have walked the takeoff area prior to attempting the takeoff.
Factual narrative
On May 13, 2000, about 1430 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N7944H, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during taxi for takeoff at an off airport gravel bar on the Susitna River, about 22 miles west of Big Lake, Alaska, at 61 degrees 28 minutes north latitude, 150 degrees 30 minutes west longtitude. The solo private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge, during a telephone interview on May 15, and wrote in his NTSB Pilot/Operator report, that he was taxiing for takeoff on a gravel bar. He added that he was "taxiing pretty fast." He indicated that while taxiing, as he was concentrating on the gusty tailwind, the main wheels hit a big bump and ditch which he had not seen, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated that he should have watched the area in front of where he was taxiing, and should have walked the takeoff area prior to attempting the takeoff.
The airplane sustained damage to the top of the vertical stabilizer, and right wing strut.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7944H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-847
- Airframe hours
- 2,306
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Scott Mccavit
- Registered owner
- Mccavit Enterprises, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 1999 · 81 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 170 total · 115 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.