- Date
- June 7, 2008, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Eveleth, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4701UCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080607840689A
- Case key
- 68254
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 elected to land on a grass airstrip that was unsuitable for landing due to the wet, soft runway conditions. The wet, soft runway were factors.
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 he had contacted the fixed base operator the day prior to the accident to check on the condition of the grass airstrip, and was told that airplanes had departed and landed on the grass airstrip during the day. The pilot called the fixed base operator on the morning of the accident but no one answered the phone. The pilot was unaware that it had rained at the airstrip during the night. He over flew the grass airstrip prior to landing and did not observe any standing water or signs of ground softness, so he landed on the grass strip. During landing roll, the main landing gear sank into a wet, soft area of the airstrip, and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had contacted the fixed base operator the day prior to the accident to check on the condition of the grass airstrip, and was told that airplanes had departed and landed on the grass airstrip during the day. The pilot called the fixed base operator on the morning of the accident but no one answered the phone. The pilot was unaware that it had rained at the airstrip during the night. He over flew the grass airstrip prior to landing and did not observe any standing water or signs of ground softness, so he landed on the grass strip. During landing roll, the main landing gear sank into a wet, soft area of the airstrip, and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4701U
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051401
- Engine
- Continental O-520, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerorme Eckrich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- ABR · Aberdeen, SD
- Destination
- Eveleth, MN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 9Y5 · Sky Harbor Seaplane Base, runway 180, 1,900 × 150 ft
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
- 76
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 5,885 total · 683 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.