- Date
- October 24, 2011, 17:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- West Fargo, ND
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7949Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111024030429A
- Case key
- 82173
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 excessive use of brakes during the landing roll before the tailwheel had made sustained contact with the runway.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was practicing a short-field landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane when the accident occurred. He stated that after touchdown he applied too much brake pressure while the tailwheel was still off the ground and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the firewall, aft fuselage structure, left and right wing struts, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. He further noted that the accident could have been prevented had he not applied the brakes until the tailwheel had made sustained contact with the runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was practicing a short field landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane when the accident occurred. He stated that after touchdown he applied too much brake pressure while the tailwheel was still off the ground and the airplane subsequently nosed-over. The airplane came to rest inverted and the pilot and passenger exited through the main cabin door. The airplane’s firewall, aft fuselage structure, left and right wing struts, and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. He further noted that the accident could have been prevented had he not applied the brakes until the tailwheel had made sustained contact with the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7949
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8882
- Airframe hours
- 25,785
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thermo King of Fargo & Isuzu Diesel Midwest, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Thermo King of Fargo & Isuzu Diesel Midwest, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 19, 2011
- Departed
- KFAR · Fargo, ND
- Destination
- NA17 · West Fargo, ND
- Airport
- NA17 · Jacob Gust Airport, runway 35, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 35
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,020 total · 51 in this make and model · 1,386 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KFAR, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 980 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.