- Date
- March 26, 1996, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N39966Taylorcraft BC12D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960326005269A
- Case key
- 2812
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 an unsuitable area for landing.
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 was on a round trip personal flight around the Lake George Glacier area. During the flight he elected to land on an unimproved airstrip near the base of the Knik Glacier. During his overflight of the landing area he estimated the snow to be hard packed and 1 to 2 inches deep. Upon landing the airplane rolled about 95 to 110 feet and then nosed over. The pilot later estimated the snow to be 4 inches deep.
Factual narrative
On March 26, 1996, at 1915 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Taylorcraft, model BC12D, N39966, registered to and operated by the pilot, nosed over during landing on an unimproved landing strip near the base of the Knik Glacier located near Palmer, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Anderson Lake, near Wasilla, Alaska, for a local flight. During the flight the pilot decided to land at the unimproved landing strip. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated private pilot and his passenger were not injured and the airplane received substantial damage.
During a telephone conversation with the pilot on March 27, 1996, he stated that the unimproved landing strip was snow covered. During his aerial examination of the landing area, he thought the snow was 1 to 2 inches deep and very hard packed because of the distinct snowmobile tracks. Upon landing the airplane rolled for 95 to 110 feet and then nosed over. After landing, the pilot estimated the depth of the snow to be 4 inches.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39966
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6625
- Airframe hours
- 1,515
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jason Schmidt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 1995 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- Anderson Lake, 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
- 23
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 141 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 99 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.