- Date
- March 27, 2017, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2838ZPiper PA22
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170327011049A
- Case key
- 94932
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 unstabilized approach and failure to attain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in a runway overrun and collision with a snowbank.
Findings · 5
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 reported that he had landed farther down the snow- and ice-covered runway than anticipated due to being "a little high and a little fast" during the approach. He added that he applied brakes but that he was not slowing down quickly enough and determined that there was not enough runway remaining to attempt a go-around. He controlled the airplane "the best [he] could until [he] hit the snow berm at the end of the runway"; subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windshield. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had landed further down the snow and ice covered runway than anticipated due to being "a little high and a little fast" during the approach. He added that he applied brakes, but he was not slowing down quick enough, and determined there was not enough runway left to attempt a go-around. He controlled the airplane "the best [he] could until [he] hit the snow berm at the end of the runway"; subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windshield. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2838Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA22 (160)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6833
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 5, 2015
- Departed
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- 7AK3 · Soldotna, AK
- Airport
- 7AK3 · Gaede, runway 16, 2,712 × 160 ft, snow
- 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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 400 in this make and model · 390 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 5 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.39 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.