# NTSB ANC02LA049: Piper PA-12, N4131M, Kenai, AK, June 15, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 15, 2002, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Kenai, AK - Location: 60.5618° N, 151.2105° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Kenai, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB coordinates: 58.633335, -151.825561, outside the stated state - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.5618&lon=-151.2105&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 29, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54969 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC02LA049 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54969/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54969 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02LA049 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and the excessive use of the airplane's brakes, which resulted in a nose over. A contributing factor to the accident was a wind gust. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water encounter with weather, landing - roll - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - Nose over, landing - roll - brakes(normal) - excessive, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The solo private pilot reported to the NTSB that he was landing on a remote river sandbar in a tail wheel-equipped airplane. He said that just after touchdown, a gust of wind from the left pushed the airplane to the right, and in an attempt to realign the airplane, he applied full left rudder and heavy braking action. As the airplane neared the end of the 900 foot long site, the airplane nosed over, and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot said that he applied too much brake pressure in an attempt to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the site, and that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On June 15, 2002, about 1130 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N4131M, received substantial damage when it nosed over while landing at an off airport site located about 25 miles northwest of Kenai, Alaska. The solo certificated private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the O'Malley Airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1000. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on June 16, the pilot reported that just after touchdown, a gust of wind from the left pushed the airplane to the right. The pilot said that in an attempt to realign the airplane, he applied full left rudder, in conjunction with heavy braking action. As the airplane neared the end of the 900 foot long site, the airplane nosed over, and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot said that he applied too much brake pressure in an attempt to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the site. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4131M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4131M), registered now, S/N 12-3031, built 1947 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-12 - Registry model: [Piper PA-12](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (registry code 7101202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-290 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (registry code 41506, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 12-3031 - Airframe hours: 1958.8 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-A2B 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Lawrence L. Brown - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 2, 2001, 22 hours before - Departed: ANC, Anchorage, AK - Destination: ENA, Kenai, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: front; flight hours: 900 total, 700 in this make and model, 850 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 5 knots, gusting 5 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 70 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020615012769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020615012769A), Jun 15, 2002: Piper PA12, Kenai, AK, No damage. (-23) The pilot elected to land on a sandbar, a gust of wind turned the aircraft up-slope towards a ruff area. The pilot attempted to turn the aircraft with… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54969. 583 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 583 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445558&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF 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. --- 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.