- Date
- March 8, 2013, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chickaloon, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N86LNNelson Larry L WAG Aero 2+2
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 24, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130308010039A
- Case key
- 86382
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 delayed decision to abort the 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 pilot was landing his wheel/ski-equipped homebuilt airplane on a remote, frozen, snow-covered lake that was surrounded by trees. After touchdown, the pilot noticed that the airplane was at a high groundspeed and that there was very little drag on the skis. With only 600 feet remaining to the tree line, he added power to abort the landing. He reported that, after he aborted the landing, the airplane could not maintain climb speed or clear the trees at the end of the landing site. In an attempt to cushion the impact, he applied full flaps. The airplane impacted trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was attempting to land his wheel/ski-equipped homebuilt airplane on a remote frozen snow-covered lake that was surrounded by trees. After touchdown, the pilot noticed a high ground speed and very little drag on the skis, and with only 600 feet remaining to the tree line, he added power to abort the landing. After aborting the attempted landing, he said the airplane could not out climb the tree-covered terrain at the end of the site. In an attempt to cushion the impact, he applied full flaps and the airplane impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86LN
- Reported as
- Nelson Larry L WAG Aero 2+2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 348
- Airframe hours
- 1,011
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Moody William J
- Registered owner
- Moody William J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 15, 2012
- Departed
- PABV · Chugiak, AK
- Destination
- PVT · Chickaloon, AK
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 27, snow
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
- Minor
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial, Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 13, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,022 total · 148 in this make and model · 2,074 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.