- Date
- September 13, 2017, 17:30 local (Sep 14, 2017, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Petersville, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4741MPiper PA 11
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96053
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 overapplication of brakes, 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 tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while performing a wheel landing on an unimproved gravel airstrip, a wind gust lifted the "weight off of [the] tires and initiated a skid." He added that, as the airplane settled back on the airstrip, the tail rose rapidly due to the brakes being applied, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut and empennage. 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while performing a wheel landing on an unimproved gravel airstrip, a gust of wind lifted the "weight off of [the] tires and initiated a skid." He added that, as the airplane settled back on the airstrip the tail rose rapidly due to the brakes being applied, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4741M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 11 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-254
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 1,377.4
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 2017
- Departed
- Petersville, AK
- Destination
- Petersville, 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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 149.3 total · 74 in this make and model · 95.6 as pilot in command · 27.5 in the last 90 days · 20.6 in the last 30 days · 1.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 51 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.