- Date
- February 5, 2012, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Thedford, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3671ZPiper PA-18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Lincoln FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120205000919A
- Case key
- 82818
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 did not maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 3
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, during the landing roll, the left main landing gear hit a patch of ice on the runway, and the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot’s efforts to correct the veer were unsuccessful, and the airplane spun more than 90 degrees to the left and impacted a snowbank. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane’s fuselage, right wing, and right wing strut were substantially damaged during the accident.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that he was on landing rollout on the runway when the left main gear hit a patch of ice on the runway and the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot’s efforts to correct the veer were unsuccessful and the airplane spun more than 90 degrees nose to the left and impacted terrain and a snowbank. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane’s fuselage, right wing, and right wing strut were substantially damaged during the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3671Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7394
- Airframe hours
- 2,768
- Engine
- Cont Motor C90 SERIES, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 9, 2011 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- TIF · Thedford, NE
- Destination
- TIF · Thedford, NE
- Airport
- TIF · Thomas County Airport, runway 29, 4,400 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 113 total · 80 in this make and model · 45 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KTIF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 606 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.