- Date
- July 23, 2015, 16:00 local (Jul 24, 2015, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Skweetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3085GChampion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150723016449A
- Case key
- 91622
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 improper decision to land on an unsuitable landing surface which resulted in a nose over.
Findings · 1
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 reported that he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a remote unimproved airstrip. Before the attempted landing, he made a low pass and determined that the dirt airstrip was clear of debris, and had what appeared to be grass on either side of the landing surface. During the final approach the airplane drifted about 10 to 15 feet to the left of the pilots intended touchdown point, and was aligned with the side of the airstrip. Having determined that the vegetation along the sides of the runway was grass the pilot elected not to execute a go-around and proceeded with the landing. The pilot realized, as the airplane touched down and immediately nosed over that the vegetation alongside the airstrip was not grass but alder brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer and left lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies 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 would have aborted the landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a remote unimproved airstrip. Before the attempted landing, he made a low pass and determined that the dirt airstrip was clear of debris, and had what appeared to be grass on either side of the landing surface. During the final approach the airplane drifted about 10 to 15 feet to the left of the pilots intended touchdown point, and was aligned with the side of the airstrip. Having determined that the vegetation along the sides of the runway was grass the pilot elected not to execute a go-around and proceeded with the landing. The pilot realized, as the airplane touched down and immediately nosed over that the vegetation alongside the airstrip was not grass but alder brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer and left lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies 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 would have aborted the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3085G
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 91
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 1,599
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Konstantine E Bunde
- Registered owner
- Konstantine E Bunde
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2014
- Destination
- Skweetna, AK
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 147 total · 77 in this make and model · 147 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.56 inHg
- Observed at
- PASW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 14, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.
Other investigations on N3085G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.