- Date
- April 13, 2003, 18:30 local (Apr 14, 2003, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cantwell, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N339TPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030413004769A
- Case key
- 56806
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 in deep snow, which resulted in the nose over of the airplane on touchdown. A factor associated with the accident was a snow-covered airstrip.
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 flying through an area of mountainous terrain when he encountered low ceilings, reduced visibility, and light freezing rain. He said that he noticed a light accumulation of rime ice on the leading edge of the airplane's wing, so he elected to land at a remote, unmaintained airstrip, and wait for better weather. The pilot reported that while landing, the main wheels contacted deep snow on the runway, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, both wing lift struts, and rudder assembly. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 13, 2003, about 1830 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N339T, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a precautionary landing at the Summit Airstrip, located about 6 miles southwest of Cantwell, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. The flight originated about 1730 from the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska, and was en route to Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on April 14, the pilot reported that as the flight progressed through an area of mountainous terrain, he encountered low ceilings, reduced visibility, and light freezing rain. He said that he noticed a light accumulation of rime ice on the leading edge of the airplane's wing, so he elected to land at the Summit Airstrip and wait for better weather. He said that while landing on runway 21, the main wheels contacted deep snow on the runway, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, both wing lift struts, and rudder assembly. According to the current Alaska Supplement, the Summit Airstrip is not maintained.
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N339T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2453
- Airframe hours
- 5,149.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ingo, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2002 · 31.1 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- UMM · Summit, runway 21, 3,840 × 80 ft, gravel
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 4, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,082 total · 920 in this make and model · 939 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °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 N339T · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.