- Date
- January 24, 2021, 17:28 local (Jan 25, 2021, 02:28 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4265HPiper PA-14
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210124000639A
- Case key
- 102555
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 instructor pilot’s selection of an unsuitable snow-covered runway for landing practice, and the pilot under instruction’s failure to maintain directional control during a landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control in unpacked snow and a subsequent 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 instructor pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was conducting a tailwheel endorsement training flight for another instructor pilot who was seated in the right seat as the pilot flying. After the pilot under instruction conducted multiple touch-and-go landings on the maintained asphalt runway, the instructor pilot decided to have the pilot conduct a touch-and-go on a snow-covered runway that was used by ski-equipped airplanes in the winter. The pilot landed in the center of the runway where the snow had been packed down by skis; however, the airplane drifted right after touchdown and the pilot attempted to correct back to the middle with the instructor pilot’s assistance. The right main landing gear tire “caught unpacked snow” which caused the airplane to turn rapidly right and flip over onto its back. The vertical stabilizer and right wing lift strut sustained substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration’s master airport information states that the runway is used seasonally as a snow runway (ski-equipped aircraft use recommended to minimize wheel rutting.) The instructor pilot was very familiar with the airport, where his flight training school was located. He likely knew that the runway was normally used for ski-equipped airplanes, and that unpacked snow or wheel ruts from other airplanes were potential hazards during the instructional flight. The instructor pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4265H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-14
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-69
- Built
- 1948
- Airframe hours
- 3,713.5
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-B2B, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Angel Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Fld, runway 05/23, 2,000 × 60 ft, snow
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 793 total · 1 in this make and model · 735 as pilot in command · 251 in the last 90 days · 88 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- PAMR, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PAMR 250153Z 00000KT 10SM OVC075 00/M03 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP137 T00001033 $
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.