- Date
- September 5, 2010, 17:30 local (Sep 6, 2010, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Arctic Village, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9128DPiper PA-18-160
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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, Fairbanks Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20100905049389A
- Case key
- 77270
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 control of the airplane during an off-airport 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 airplane was operating under Title 14, CFR Part 91 as a local personal flight when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot reported he was landing at a rough and uneven off-airport site in a tailwheel airplane equipped with 31-inch tundra tires. He said as he entered the landing flare, the tailwheel hit a raised portion of the landing surface, which pushed the tail up, and pushed the nose of the airplane down, resulting in the propeller striking the ground. When the propeller hit the ground, the pilot said he was unable to maintain control, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining structural damage to both wings and rudder. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane that precipitated the accident.
Factual narrative
The airplane was operating under Title 14, CFR Part 91 as a local personal flight when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot reported he was landing at a rough and uneven off-airport site in a tailwheel airplane equipped with 31-inch tundra tires. He said as he entered the landing flare, the tailwheel hit a raised portion of the landing surface, which pushed the tail up, and pushed the nose of the airplane down, resulting in the propeller striking the ground. When the propeller hit the ground, the pilot said he was unable to maintain control, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining structural damage to both wings and rudder. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane that precipitated the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9128D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6509
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael A. Chapman
- Registered owner
- Wolsey Ardell Lamont
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Arctic Village, AK
- Destination
- Arctic Village, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 27, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 576 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 N9128D · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.