- Date
- November 12, 2013, 14:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Juneau, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N709SBCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 4, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20131112023819A
- Case key
- 88430
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 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 tricycle landing gear-equipped airplane on a soft tidal beach. He reported that he had landed the day before at the same location without incident. During the landing roll, the landing gear contacted an area of soft sand, and the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and left lift strut. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had a better knowledge and understanding of landing conditions on tidal beaches.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing a tricycle landing gear-equipped airplane on a soft tidal beach. He reported that he had landed the day before at the same location without incident. During the landing roll, the landing gear contacted an area of soft sand, and the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and left lift strut. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had a better knowledge and understanding of landing conditions on tidal beaches.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N709SB
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46020
- Built
- 1958
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Juneau, AK
- Destination
- Juneau, AK
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Military, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,301 total · 1,550 in this make and model · 11,500 as pilot in command · 850 in the last 90 days · 400 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 23, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.