- Date
- December 21, 2005, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spirit Lake, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4680ZPiper PA-22-108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Des Moines, IA, FSDO
- FAA report
- 20051221029069A
- Case key
- 63121
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 using an unsuitable runway and not maintaining directional control during the landing leading to the nose over on impact with snow. A factor was the snow that remained on the runway after plowing.
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 encountered snow on the runway during landing on a private airstrip and subsequently nosed over. The day prior to the accident the pilot reported that he removed snow from the runway. The pilot stated, "After setting down the left wheel got into the snow on runway edge. Braking and correcting the aircraft caught in the right edge of snow on runway. This pulled the nose wheel into the snow also. At this time the aircraft was slowing down fast. All of a sudden the left wing and nose came over and that was 'all over'."
Factual narrative
The airplane encountered snow on the runway during landing on a private airstrip and subsequently nosed over. The day prior to the accident the pilot reported that he removed snow from the runway. The pilot stated, "After setting down the left wheel got into the snow on runway edge. Braking and correcting the aircraft caught in the right edge of snow on runway. This pulled the nose wheel into the snow also. At this time the aircraft was slowing down fast. All of a sudden the left wing and nose came over and that was 'all over'." The pilot's safety recommendation was, "This accident could have been prevented by doing as in many accident (When in doubt. Don't do.)."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4680Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-8215
- Airframe hours
- 2,119
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James D. Nygaard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2005
- Departed
- MJQ · Jackson, MN
- Destination
- Spirit Lake, IA
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 347 total · 300 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 3 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- SPW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.