- Date
- August 22, 2009, 16:00 local (Aug 23, 2009, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dillingham, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N92770Piper PA-12
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO3
- FAA report
- 20090822048569A
- Case key
- 74586
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 decision to land on unsuitable soft, wet terrain, which resulted in a nose-over on landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot reported he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport, tundra-covered site, at the conclusion of a Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during the landing roll the main wheels sunk into the soft, wet terrain, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. He reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport, tundra-covered site, at the conclusion of a Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during the landing roll the main wheels sunk into the soft, wet terrain, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. He reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92770
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-215
- Airframe hours
- 404
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bush Jonathan
- Registered owner
- Bush Jonathan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 2008 · 251 hours before
- Departed
- DLG · Dillingham, AK
- Destination
- Dillingham, 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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 392 total · 392 in this make and model · 392 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 7 knots, gusting 11
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.36 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 849 KB in all.
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 N92770 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.