- Date
- May 17, 2015, 09:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Seward, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N83330Piper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150517007409A
- Case key
- 91233
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 excessive braking during landing, 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 private pilot was practicing short field takeoff and landings on a grassy area next to a paved runway. On the fourth landing he stated that he hit the brakes too hard, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage and wing struts. The pilot stated that the were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was practicing short field takeoff and landings on a grassy area next to a paved runway. On the fourth landing he stated that he hit the brakes too hard, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage and wing struts. The pilot stated that the were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83330
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7609080
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 1,359
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2015 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- SWD · Seward, AK
- Destination
- SWD · Seward, AK
- Airport
- SWD · Seward
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 3, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 310 total · 80 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWD
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 916 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 N83330 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.