ANC96LA034

The student pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. During the last landing, the right tire locked and the airplane swerved to the right and collided with a snow bank. The pilot had accrued 33 hours of flight experience in the airplane, with 10 hours as the solo pilot.

On March 16, 1996, at 1755 Alaska standard time, a tailwheel- equipped Cessna 180, N2905A, crashed during landing at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The pilot, holder of a student pilot certificate and the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Merrill Field about 1650.

The pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings on runway 24 at Merrill Field. He decided to land on runway 33 at the end of the practice. When the wheel equipped airplane touched down, the pilot indicated that the right tire locked and the airplane swerved to the right and collided with a snow bank. The airplane received damage to the left wing tip and aileron. In the pilot/operator report submitted by the pilot, he indicated that there was no mechanical malfunction. The pilot had accrued 33 hours of flight experience in the airplane, with 10 hours as the solo pilot. The wind conditions were reported as 070 degrees at 3 knots.