- Date
- July 13, 2023, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK · Friday Creek
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N37WPPiper PA-18
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Nose over/nose down
- 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
- Case key
- 192672
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 student pilot’s inadvertent application of the brakes, which resulted in the airplane nosing 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 reported that he was conducting training in a tailwheel equipped airplane, and during takeoff the student pilot inadvertently applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder. The instructor pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37WP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-756
- Airframe hours
- 7,146.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hunter Creek LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 2023
- Departed
- 4AK6 · Palmer, AK
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2022
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,413.7 total · 203.9 in this make and model · 1,364.7 as pilot in command · 127.7 in the last 90 days · 94.9 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 870 as pilot in command · 223 in the last 90 days · 14.7 in the last 30 days · 3.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ
- METAR
- SA 13/07/2023 22:53-> METAR PAAQ 132253Z 11005KT 10SM FEW035 SCT075 23/13 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP192 T02280133=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 1, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.
Other investigations on N37WP · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.