- Date
- March 2, 1996, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cooper Landing, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6058DPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960302003409A
- Case key
- 2802
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. Soft snow conditions were a factor in the accident.
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.
Analysis
The pilot landed on a remote, ice covered lake in a tundra tire equipped airplane. The lake was covered by hard packed snow. During the landing roll out, a tire broke through a soft spot on the snow surface. The airplane nosed over and received damage to the wing lift struts and rudder.
Factual narrative
On March 2, 1996, about 1300 Alaska standard time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-22, N6058D, crashed during landing about 19 miles south of Cooper Landing, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1130.
The pilot reported that he was landing on Iceberg Lake that was covered by hard packed snow. After landing to the east, the airplane was rolling out and encountered a soft spot on the snow surface. The airplane nosed over and received damage to the wing lift struts and rudder. The pilot and passenger were rescued from the scene on March 3, 1996, about 0200.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6058D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4711
- Airframe hours
- 3,226
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles R. Rhodes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1995 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,676 total · 243 in this make and model · 1,607 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N6058D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.