- Date
- January 3, 2002, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Leelanau, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N302ACAeronca 11AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020103000389A
- Case key
- 55358
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 improper planning/decision in runway selection. The soft runway condition and wet snow were contributing factors.
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 airplane flipped over as its ski equipped landing gear dug into a snow covered runway during touchdown. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and that the accident could have been prevented by being more cautious when landing on unfrozen earth and wet snow.
Factual narrative
On January 3, 2002, at 1600 eastern standard time, an Aeronca 11AC, N302AC, owned and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during touchdown on runway 18 (1,800 feet by 300 feet, snow) at a private airstrip called Krieger's Farm Strip located near Lake Leelanau, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated from Krieger's Farm Strip at 1430.
The pilot reported that the ski equipped airplane flipped over when its right ski dug into the dirt upon touchdown on the 8-inch soft snow covered runway. He added that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by "[being] more cautious when on skis and earth is not frozen and snow is not hard because of warm temperatures."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N302AC
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11AC-302
- Airframe hours
- 1,856.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert R. Martinson
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2001 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Lake Leelanau, MI
- Airport
- PVT · Krieger's Farm Strip, runway 18, 1,800 × 300 ft, snow
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 828 total · 671 in this make and model · 762 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- TVC, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 369 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.