- Date
- August 11, 2011, 08:44 local (16:44 UTC)
- Place
- Chenga Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N78635Piper PA-11
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA - Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110811022439A
- Case key
- 81509
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 improper decision to land on an unsuitable landing surface which resulted in a nose over.
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
According to the pilot, he intended to perform a landing on an island beach. During the landing, the airplane struck an unseen 12-inch sand berm and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an off-airport landing, the airplane struck an unseen 12-inch sand berm and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and rudder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78635
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-1396
- Airframe hours
- 8,760
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 28, 2011 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Chenga Bay, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 29, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 588 total · 500 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 642 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 N78635 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.