- Date
- July 31, 2014, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Traverse City, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8461DPiper PA 18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA -- Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20140731012349A
- Case key
- 89800
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 loss of directional control during landing, resulting in a runway excursion and the airplane nosing over.
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 the tailwheel equipped airplane "pulled left" during landing and he was unable to correct in time to prevent a runway excursion. He noted that he should not have used the brakes when he realized that the airplane was going off the runway, which might have prevented the airplane from nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and right elevator. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions related to the airplane before the accident. He reported a left quartering headwind at 13 knots at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the tailwheel equipped airplane "pulled left" during landing and he was unable to correct in time to prevent a runway excursion. He noted that he should not have used the brakes when he realized that the airplane was going off the runway, which might have prevented the airplane from nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and right elevator. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions related to the airplane before the accident. He reported a left quartering headwind at 13 knots at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8461D
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18 (105SPECIAL)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6160
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 4,504.4
- Engine
- Cont Motor C90-12F, 95 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 25, 2013 · 130.3 hours before
- Departed
- Y65 · Indian River, MI
- Destination
- TVC · Traverse City, MI
- Airport
- TVC · Cherry Capital, runway 28, 69,010 × 15 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
- 75
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 10, 2013
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,007 total · 90 in this make and model · 4,422 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB 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.