ANC94LA069

The pilot, with 18 hours in the model/type of airplane, was practicing takeoff and landings with a flight instructor who was acting as an observer/check pilot. After a normal landing and initial rollout, the pilot applied the wheel brakes and the airplane nosed over. The pilot commented that better brake control was warranted on his part.

On June 13, 1994, at 1545 Alaska daylight time, a conventional wheel equipped Piper PA-12, N7690H, registered to and operated by the pilot-in-command, nosed over onto its back during the landing rollout on runway 33 at the Merrill Field airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private certificated pilot and the airline transport certificated flight instructor who was acting as the check pilot, the sole occupants on board, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 91 flight and there was no flight plan on file.

The NTSB investigator-in-charge interviewed the two pilots at the accident scene shortly after the mishap occurred. Both pilots reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the private pilot, who had recently purchased the airplane with the takeoff and landing techniques for conventional wheeled airplanes. The pilot had accrued approximately 18 hours in the airplane, all with the same instructor acting as a check pilot. The private pilots total experience in conventional wheeled aircraft was accrued in N7690H.

The private pilot reported that following a normal landing, he applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over. The check pilot reported that the initiating events to the nose over occurred so quickly that he did not have sufficient time to take corrective action. No problems were found with the brake system during the post accident investigation.