- Date
- September 26, 2017, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Holy Cross, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N109TPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170926021179A
- Case key
- 96114
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 reported that, during the landing roll on an unimproved airstrip, the tailwheel-equipped airplane "hit a hole" and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the 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 reported that, during the landing roll, on an unimproved airstrip, the tailwheel-equipped airplane "hit a hole" and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N109T
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2223
- Built
- 1952
- Airframe hours
- 9,208
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 21, 2017
- Departed
- HCA · Holy Cross, AK
- Destination
- Holy Cross, AK
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 22, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 16,300 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 230 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- PAHC, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 21, 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.
Other investigations on N109T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.