- Date
- August 8, 2010, 16:00 local (Aug 9, 2010, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N38532Piper J5C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20100808047549A
- Case key
- 77059
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing, and his selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.
Findings · 2
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 was on a personal cross-country flight with a landing at an off airport site, under Title 14, CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, during landing at the off airport site, the airplane bounced through a rough spot that he had not identified during his overflight prior to landing. He said the airplane bounced in a tail-high attitude, and he did not apply power quickly enough to prevent the airplane from nosing over. The pilot reported that he should have spent more time evaluating the site for seasonal changes prior to landing. He said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and rudder.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was on a personal cross-country flight with a landing at an off airport site, under Title 14, CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, during landing at the off airport site, the airplane bounced through a rough spot that he had not identified during his overflight prior to landing. He said the airplane bounced in a tail-high attitude, and he did not apply power quickly enough to prevent the airplane from nosing over. The pilot reported that he should have spent more time evaluating the site for seasonal changes prior to landing. He said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and rudder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38532
- Reported as
- Piper J5C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-1394
- Airframe hours
- 1,854
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Woodward Paul A
- Registered owner
- Woodward Paul A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 2010
- Departed
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- Destination
- Skwentna, 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2009
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 657 total · 414 in this make and model · 624 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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 N38532 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.