- Date
- June 15, 2011, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- McCarthy, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1858APiper PA-18A
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (Airworthiness)
- FAA report
- 20110615012359A
- Case key
- 80851
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 while taxiing in gusty wind conditions.
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 pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while back-taxiing at a remote, gravel-covered, off-airport site, a strong gust of wind lifted the tail, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while back-taxiing at a remote, gravel-covered, off-airport site, a gust of wind lifted the tail, and the airplane nosed over. He noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the left wing lift strut.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1858A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-1686
- Airframe hours
- 3,075
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John M. Miller
- Registered owner
- John M. Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 2011
- Departed
- McCarthy, AK
- Destination
- McCarthy, 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Powered-lift, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 2, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,888 total · 425 in this make and model · 1,868 as pilot in command · 92 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 514 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 N1858A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.