- Date
- March 19, 2015, 18:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Midland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2722MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150319003789A
- Case key
- 90899
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 excessive braking during the landing roll.
Findings · 4
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 landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane in variable wind conditions. During the landing roll he applied excessive brake in fear of a runway excursion, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings, left wing strut and rudder. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane in variable wind conditions. During the landing roll he applied excessive brake in fear of a runway excursion, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings, left wing strut and rudder. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2722M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1133
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 2,193.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Watson Jay C
- Registered owner
- Watson Jay C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 2015 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- 7T7 · Midland, TX
- Destination
- 7T7 · Midland, TX
- Airport
- 7T7 · Skywest Inc, runway 06, 2,800 × 45 ft, dirt
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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 2, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 573.7 total · 41.7 in this make and model · 573.7 as pilot in command · 15.8 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KMAF, 9 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 27, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.