- Date
- April 28, 2013, 12:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Seward, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N88266Bellanca 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130428006789A
- Case key
- 86775
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 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
The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a soft tidal beach. Before the attempted landing, the pilot circled the beach about 700 feet above ground level and thought it looked suitable for landing. During a second low pass, he allowed the main wheels and tailwheel to touch down to determine how soft the surface was, and he believed the surface was firm. During the landing roll, the main landing gear contacted an area of soft sand, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left lift strut and rudder. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a soft tidal beach. Prior to the accident, the pilot circled the beach at approximately 700 feet above ground level, and thought it looked suitable for landing. During a second low pass, he allowed the main wheels and tailwheel to touch down to determine how soft the surface was, and he believed the surface appeared firm. During the landing roll, the main landing gear contacted an area of soft sand, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left lift strut and rudder. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88266
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 100-74
- Airframe hours
- 1,726
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kraxberger Rick R
- Registered owner
- Kraxberger Rick R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 27, 2012
- Departed
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- Seward, 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,150 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,090 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 708 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 N88266 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.