- Date
- November 4, 2023, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK · IYS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3994ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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 FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231104018449A
- Case key
- 193357
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 delayed action and over application of brakes which resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 5
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
While conducting an instructional flight in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, during the landing phase, the pilot receiving instruction touched down and the airplane began to veer towards the edge of the runway surface. The instructor pilot reported that, due to limited visibility he was slow to correct the veer. The instructor pilot took control of the airplane and applied the brakes which resulted in a nose-over and substantial damage to the rudder and right wing strut. The instructor pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3994Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7943
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 9,357
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 12, 2023
- Departed
- PAQ · Palmer, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- IYS · Wasilla Airport, runway 22, 1,620 × 60 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2023
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,395 total · 89 in this make and model · 5,593 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 2 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.36 inHg
- Observed at
- AWS
- METAR
- PAWS 042256Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 03/02 A2936 RMK AO2 SLP947 T00280017
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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 N3994Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.