- Date
- July 28, 2020, 17:00 local (Jul 29, 2020, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chisana, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1049PPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200728010509A
- Case key
- 101740
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 overapplication of brakes during landing in gusting tailwind conditions, which resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 3
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, during landing on an uphill, 800-ft-long unimproved airstrip in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane encountered a strong tailwind gust. The pilot landed the airplane beyond the intended point of landing and applied full brakes to avoid hitting terrain, and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and the wing lift struts sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that before the accident, the wind on nearby lakes was light from the west, and he anticipated a tailwind landing to the east; however, after the accident the wind was gusting to 25 knots. He added that the airstrip had no safe go-around route due to terrain and slope. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during landing on an uphill, 800-ft-long unimproved airstrip in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane encountered a strong tailwind gust. The pilot landed the airplane beyond the intended point of landing and applied full brakes to avoid hitting terrain, and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and the wing lift struts sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that before the accident, the wind on nearby lakes was light from the west, and he anticipated a tailwind landing to the east; however, after the accident the wind was gusting to 25 knots. He added that the airstrip had no safe go-around route due to terrain and slope. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1049P
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7816
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 5,104
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2019 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- ORT · Northway, AK
- Destination
- Chisana, 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,221.3 total · 1,221.3 in this make and model · 1,120 as pilot in command · 51.2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK, 98 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.