- Date
- March 17, 2024, 16:00 local (Mar 18, 2024, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N696AKMichael G Darby Dard 1
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20240317002909A
- Case key
- 193973
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 directional control while landing in soft snow, resulting in a nose over.
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 reported that during approach to the snow-covered runway in flat light conditions, the runway end lights were off making it difficult to see the runway. He lined up on what he perceived to be the runway centerline and noted ski tracks to the right of his position. After a normal touchdown, he increased power for a touch-and-go; however, he noticed the skis bogged down into the soft snow. There was a sudden deceleration, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the rudder. After landing he realized he had misidentified the runway and landed in softer snow, in an area between the runway and taxiway. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N696AK
- Reported as
- Michael G Darby Dard 1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1533
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 1,019.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 8, 2023 · 54 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Fld, runway 23, 2,000 × 60 ft, snow
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Onboard weather
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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 11, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 910 total · 38 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 23.8 in the last 90 days · 15.1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- AMR, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PAMR 172353Z 00000KT 10SM BKN070 OVC110 02/M02 A2975 RMK AO2 SLP075 T00171017 10017 21011 51003 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 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.