- Date
- September 26, 2009, 19:30 local (Sep 27, 2009, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5540APiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 74815
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 student pilot's decision to attempt an off-airport landing and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Findings · 4
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 student pilot reported that he was attempting to land at the short and rough off-airport site in his personal tailwheel-equipped airplane at the conclusion of a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. He said during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a dip in the surface, and he lost directional control, with the airplane veering to the right, off the airstrip, and nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and its associated lift struts. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported to the NTSB investigator in charge during a telephone conversation on September 28, 2009, that he was attempting to land at the short and rough off-airport site in his personal tailwheel-equipped airplane at the conclusion of a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. He said during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a dip in the surface, and he lost directional control, with the airplane veering to the right, off the airstrip, and nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and its associated lift struts. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. FAA medical records indicate he had approximately 14 hours total flight experience as of June 10, 2009. The student pilot did not complete an NTSB accident report form as requested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5540A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-982
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rice Wesley R
- Registered owner
- Rice Wesley R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NA · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- NA · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- NA · Na
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 14 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11 KB in all.
Other investigations on N5540A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.