- Date
- April 6, 2014, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N74843Piper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140406003519A
- Case key
- 89031
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 control of the airplane while taxiing after landing during gusty wind conditions.
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane, he landed on runway 32 with a left quartering headwind. He stopped the airplane and initiated a turn in order to back taxi to exit the runway. As the airplane turned, the pilot pushed the control stick forward to keep the tail of the airplane down. However, during the turn, a "gust [of wind] lifted the tail" of the airplane, it nosed over, and came to rest inverted resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, and right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 24 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane, he landed on runway 32 with a left quartering headwind. He stopped the airplane and initiated a turn in order to back taxi to exit the runway. As the airplane turned, the pilot pushed the control stick forward to keep the tail of the airplane down. However, during the turn, a "gust [of wind] lifted the tail" of the airplane, it nosed over, and came to rest inverted resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, and right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 24 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74843
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4085
- Built
- 1955
- Airframe hours
- 9,092
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 3, 2013
- Departed
- 0B1 · Bethel, ME
- Destination
- 0B1 · Bethel, ME
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 0B1 · Bethel Rgnl, runway 32, 3,818 × 75 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,202 total · 2,206 in this make and model · 4,140 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 0B1
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 25, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.0 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.