# NTSB ANC05CA122: Piper PA-12, N78481, Arctic Village, AK, August 9, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 9, 2005, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Arctic Village, AK - Coordinates: 68.089477, -145.600341 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=68.0895&lon=-145.6003&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 20, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-AL FAI FSDO 01 - NTSB case key (mKey): 62179 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC05CA122 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62179/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC05CA122 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions, which resulted in an overrun and subsequent nose over during the landing roll. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Overrun, landing - roll - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - tailwind (contributing factor) - Nose over, landing - roll - terrain condition - high vegetation ## Analysis The airline transport certificated pilot reported that he prepared a remote landing area by cutting brush to form an airstrip. The dirt and rock surface area was oriented east/west, and was about 900 feet long, and about 40 feet wide. He tied wind-indication streamers at both ends of the landing area. He made one successful takeoff and landing, and then picked up a passenger and returned to the landing area. During the accident landing, he landed toward the east, but the landing roll was faster than normal. He stated that as the airplane reached the end of the landing area, he applied heavy braking, and the airplane nosed over. It received structural damage to the left wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the right wing lift struts. Following the accident, the pilot reported that he saw his wind-indicating flagging switch direction 180 degrees. ## Factual narrative On August 9, 2005, about 1230 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N78481, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at a remote landing area, about 62 miles west of Arctic Village, 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 airplane was operated by the pilot. The airline transport certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Galbraith Lake Airport, Galbraith Lake, Alaska, about 1205. No flight plan was filed, nor was one required. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 9, the pilot reported that he prepared a remote landing area to facilitate a hunting trip by cutting brush to form an airstrip. The dirt and rock surface area was oriented east/west, and was about 900 feet long, and about 40 feet wide. He tied wind-indication streamers at both ends of the landing area. He indicated that he made one successful takeoff and landing, and flew to Galbraith Lake and returned with a passenger. The pilot said that during the accident landing, he landed toward the east, but the landing roll was faster than normal. The pilot stated that as the airplane reached the end of the landing area, he applied heavy braking, and the airplane nosed over. It received structural damage to the left wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the right wing lift struts. Following the accident, the pilot reported that he observed his wind-indicating flagging switch direction 180 degrees. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N78481](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78481), registered now, S/N 12-1992, 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 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 12-1992 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-B2B reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Joseph P. Pientka - Registered owner: Joseph Rahn - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: GBH, Galbraith Lake, AK - Destination: Arctic Village, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; flight hours: 13,000 total, 130 in this make and model, 250 in the last 90 days, 180 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 30 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °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 20050809022719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050809022719A), Aug 9, 2005: Piper PA12, Arctic Village, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot misjudged speed and touch down point for an off airport landing. When he realized he was going to go off the end of the runway he hit the brakes… ## Other investigations on N78481 (1) 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. - [NTSB ANC72DAG73](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC72DAG73), Nov 10, 1971: Piper PA-12 (N78481), King Salmon, AK, substantial damage 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.