- Date
- September 15, 2009, 17:00 local (Sep 16, 2009, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chickaloon, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9840QPiper PA-18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (Operations)
- FAA report
- 20090915049559A
- Case key
- 74750
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 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 solo airline transport pilot reported he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an 800-foot-long off-airport, gravel-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 an area of soft, rough terrain, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, fuselage and empennage. He reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The solo airline transport pilot reported he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an 800-foot-long off-airport, gravel-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 an area of soft, rough terrain, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, fuselage and empennage. He reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9840Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3379
- Airframe hours
- 3,686
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Raymond E. Street
- Registered owner
- Raymond E. Street Jr, Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 8, 2008 · 3,686 hours before
- Departed
- 0AK1 · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- Chickaloon, AK
- Airport
- runway 18
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 13,300 total · 100 in this make and model · 89 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 620 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 N9840Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.