- Date
- February 22, 2017, 16:30 local (Feb 23, 2017, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6024DPiper PA22
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170222004289A
- Case key
- 94785
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 contamination of snow and ice on the left main landing gear and brake, which prevented the wheel from rolling during touchdown and resulted in a nose-over.
Findings · 2
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, after conducting two touch-and-go landings at a nearby airport, he decided to land at a different airport to speak with a friend. He added that everything seemed normal during the touchdown on the snow-covered runway but that the airplane then "abruptly stopped and [nosed] over." The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the rudder. The pilot reported that the inside of the left main landing gear and brake was "packed with ice" and had frozen, which prevented the wheel from rotating during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that after a couple touch-and-go landings at a nearby airport, he decided to land at a different airport to speak with a friend. He further reported that everything seemed normal during the touchdown on the snow-covered runway, but the airplane then "abruptly stopped and [nosed] over". The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the rudder. The pilot reported that the inside of the left main landing gear and brake was "packed with ice" and had froze, which prevented the wheel from rotating during the landing roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6024D
- Reported as
- Piper PA22 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4677
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 3,437
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 2016
- Departed
- IYS · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- BGQ · Big Lake, AK
- Airport
- BGQ · Big Lake, runway 25, 2,450 × 70 ft, gravel
- 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 599 total · 32 in this make and model · 560 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 2.2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 12 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.