- Date
- March 27, 2011, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chicken Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N91117Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20110327005509A
- Case key
- 78700
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 adequate clearance from terrain.
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 pilot stated that during a low level reconnaissance pass of a frozen, snow-covered lake, the airplane inadvertently contacted the snow in flat light conditions, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that, during a low level reconnaissance pass of a frozen, snow-covered lake, he inadvertently contacted the snow in flat light conditions, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91117
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8109072
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eberle Terrence F
- Registered owner
- Eberle Terrence F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAMR · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Chicken Lake, 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,517 total · 16 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.54 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 6, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 561 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 N91117 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.