- Date
- September 25, 2016, 16:30 local (Sep 26, 2016, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kotzebue, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2880PPiper PA 18
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160925019589A
- Case key
- 94099
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 an off-airport precautionary landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
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 of the tundra tire-equipped, tailwheel airplane reported that he made an off-airport precautionary landing due to icing conditions; the airplane encountered soft terrain during the landing roll and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the intended destination's automated weather observation station about 19 miles to the south west, revealed that, about 37 minutes before the accident the wind was 120 degrees true at 14 knots, visibility 1 statue mile, light snow, mist, temperature 34 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 30 degrees Fahrenheit. And, about 23 minutes after the accident the wind was 110 degrees true at 13 knots, overcast 1,700 feet, visibility 1 ¼ statue mile, light snow, mist, temperature 34 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tundra tire–equipped, tailwheel airplane reported that he made an off-airport precautionary landing due to icing conditions; the airplane encountered soft terrain during the landing roll and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the intended destination's automated weather observation station about 19 miles to the south west, revealed that, about 37 minutes before the accident the wind was 120 degrees true at 14 knots, visibility 1 statue mile, light snow, mist, temperature 34 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 30 degrees Fahrenheit. And, about 23 minutes after the accident the wind was 110 degrees true at 13 knots, overcast 1700 feet, visibility 1 1/4 statue mile, light snow, mist, temperature 34 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2880P
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4477
- Built
- 1955
- Airframe hours
- 5,758.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 2015
- Departed
- Walik River, AK
- Destination
- OTZ · Kotzebue, AK
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 15, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,821 total · 1,782.3 in this make and model · 85.4 in the last 90 days · 85.4 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 13 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- PAOT, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 19, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.