- Date
- September 24, 2014, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Holy Cross, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N3148MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-3
- FAA report
- 20140924017339A
- Case key
- 90187
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff/landing and failure to maintain control of the aircraft.
Findings · 6
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 on a remote off-airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated that the landing area was on a 15-degree slope. The landing was uneventful, but shortly after stopping the airplane, a gust of wind turned the airplane so the nose was pointing down the hill. The airplane began rolling down the slope, and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing on a remote off-airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated that the landing area was on a 15-degree slope. The landing was uneventful, but shortly after stopping the airplane, a gust of wind turned the airplane so the nose was pointing down the hill. The airplane began rolling down the slope, and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3148M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1835
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 7,023.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Matthew Thoft
- Registered owner
- Matthew Thoft
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 13, 2014
- Departed
- HCA · Holy Cross, AK
- Destination
- Holy Cross, AK
- Flight plan
- Company 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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- February 11, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 220 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- PARS, 27 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 24, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 766 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 N3148M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.