- Date
- August 27, 2021, 19:30 local (Aug 28, 2021, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nikolai, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2579MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- FAA, Manager, Anchorage Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20210827013999A
- Case key
- 103778
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 loss of control on go-around in gusting crosswind conditions. Contributing to accident was the pilot’s decision to attempt to land at a short off-airport landing site with a malfunctioning airspeed indicator.
Findings · 4
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was landing at a short, unimproved, off-airport landing site with a malfunctioning airspeed indicator. After touchdown, he immediately retracted the flaps when a strong gusting crosswind lifted the left wing, and the right main tire simultaneously impacted a large rock. The airplane bounced into the air, and he applied throttle to arrest the airplanes descent and touched down again. Realizing he was beyond the halfway point of the landing surface; he applied full throttle and initiated a go-around. The airplane failed to gain altitude, stalled, impacted the ground and nosed-over sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, vertical stabilizer and rudder. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airspeed indicator instrument; however, a blockage was present in the pitot/static system. The pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had returned to his departure airstrip when he noticed the malfunctioning airspeed indicator rather than continuing and attempting to land at the short, unimproved, off-airport landing site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2579M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-946
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 5,972.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- None; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 29, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT · Pvt, runway PVT, 450 × 15 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- None
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 27,995 total · 437 in this make and model · 2,787 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFS, 52 nm away
- METAR
- PAFS 280301Z AUTO 30005KT 10SM FEW049 OVC065 07/M01 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP163 T00721006 51015
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.