- Date
- May 18, 2016, 19:00 local (May 19, 2016, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Nikolai Creek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5589HPiper PA 20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160518014349A
- Case key
- 93226
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 selection of an unsuitable takeoff area resulting in an airplane nose over during the takeoff roll.
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 landing gear-equipped airplane, he took off from grassy, wet, down sloping terrain. He recalled that he walked the area of intended takeoff and found no obstacles that would prevented a safe takeoff. However, he reported that during the takeoff roll, he kept the airplane tailwheel off of the ground, while rolling down slope, and the airplane main landing gear wheels rolled over a patch of mud creating a pivot point, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wing struts. The pilot reported that there were not any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane, prior to the takeoff roll that would have precluded normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he took off from grassy, wet, down sloping terrain. He recalled that he walked the area of intended takeoff and found no obstacles that would prevented a safe takeoff. However, he reported that during the takeoff roll, he kept the airplane tailwheel off of the ground, while rolling down slope, and the airplane main landing gear wheels rolled over a patch of mud creating a pivot point, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and wing struts. The pilot reported that there were not any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane, prior to the takeoff roll that would have precluded normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5589H
- Reported as
- Piper PA 20 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-651
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 1,004.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 2016
- Departed
- PALH · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- West Cook Inlet, AK
- Equipment
- None
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- December 9, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 4,149 total · 95 in this make and model · 3,393 as pilot in command · 201 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 230° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEN, 32 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.
Other investigations on N5589H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.