- Date
- March 17, 2021, 10:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2849MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210317001009A
- Case key
- 102781
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 failure to maintain directional control during a full-stop landing, resulting in a runway excursion and impact with a snow berm.
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 while making a full-stop landing following a local flight in his tailwheel-equipped airplane and slowing on the runway centerline, the airplane began drifting to the left toward a snow berm on the edge of the runway. The pilot added power as the left main landing gear tire contacted the snow. The airplane slid into the berm and came to rest in about 8-12 inches of snow. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2849M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1402
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 3,926
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- 49 Mike Partnership
- Registered owner
- 49 Mike Partnership
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 13, 2020 · 66.4 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- EIK · Erie Municipal, runway 33, 4,600 × 50 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 11, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total · 163 in this make and model · 14,500 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KEIK
- METAR
- KEIK 171655Z AUTO 00000KT 7SM SCT090 01/M02 RMK AO2 T00141018 PWINO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.4 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.
Other investigations on N2849M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.