- Date
- May 21, 2016, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Braham, MN
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N419JCJohn Steven Caturia Replica PA18
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160521005289A
- Case key
- 93230
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 unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a nose over.
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during landing on a grass field on a farm, when he applied the brakes the airplane immediately pitched forward and nosed over. He further reported that "the combination of long grass and braking created a forward momentum that he could not recover from." A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the empennage. According to the pilot, there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during landing on a grass field on a farm, when he applied the brakes the airplane immediately pitched forward and nosed over. He further reported that "the combination of long grass and braking created a forward momentum that he could not recover from." A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the empennage. According to the pilot, there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N419JC
- Reported as
- John Steven Caturia Replica PA18 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- TC0611003
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 204
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 5, 2016
- Departed
- MN58 · Hastings, MN
- Destination
- Braham, MN
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 24, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 19,925 total · 231 in this make and model · 250 in the last 90 days · 88 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KJMR, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 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.