- Date
- July 12, 2003, 10:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N83272Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20030712037339A
- Case key
- 57484
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 landing area, which resulted in an on ground encounter with soft terrain and subsequent nose over of the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was soft terrain.
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 solo private pilot was landing a tundra tire-equipped airplane on a 500-foot long, off airport site. During the landing roll, the main landing gear wheels encountered soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, wings, and left wing lift strut. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On July 12, 2003, about 1045 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N83272, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at a remote off airport site located about 26 miles south of Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. The flight departed from a remote airstrip at Shulin Lake, located near Talkeetna, about 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
According to the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, he was en route to Wasilla, Alaska, when he noticed a pair of moose antlers located near a dry river bed, and he elected to land and pick them up. During the landing roll on the 500-foot long site, the main landing gear wheels encountered soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, wings, and left wing lift strut. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83272
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7609063
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James D. Bowker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- WAS · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- PATK · Talkeetna, AK
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N83272 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.