ANC95LA096

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-20 · Homer, AK · July 5, 1995

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 5, 1995, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place
Homer, AK
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N6946KPiper PA-20
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 8, 1996
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
19950705022739A
Case key
2680

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 improper (excessive) use of the brakes after the airplane crested the landing site's crown and started downhill.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Nose overLanding - roll
Terrain condition - downhill
Brakes(normal) - improper use ofPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The pilot landed the airplane on a ridge located 2000 feet above sea level. The landing area was 1100 feet long and had a lengthwise crown. The pilot stated the airplane touched down in the first 100 feet, and as it rolled over the crown, he began to apply brakes. The airplane's tail came up slowly, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over.

Factual narrative

On July 5, 1995, at 1330 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-20 airplane, N6946K, registered to and operated by the pilot, nosed over during the landing roll on a ridge in the Caribou Hills, north of Homer, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Kenai, Alaska, and the destination was the ridge line on which the airplane crashed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The private certificated pilot and his passenger were not injured and the airplane received substantial damage.

According to the pilot, the ridgeline on which he landed is at the 2000 foot level in the Caribou Hills and is 1100 feet long with a lengthwise crown. He landed the airplane in the first 100 feet of the ridge and when the airplane crested the crown he began braking. The airplane slowed down and the tail began to come up. The propeller struck the ground and the airplane continued to slowly nose over.

Aircraft

Registration
N6946K
Reported as
Piper PA-20
Category
Airplane
Serial number
20-50
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Klaben, Paul
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
ENA · Kenai, AK
Destination
Caribou Hills, AK
Flight plan
VFR

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
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
670 total · 461 in this make and model · 614 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
60 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
4,000 ft broken

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 N6946K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.