- Date
- February 5, 2018, 11:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Juneau, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N271BJCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180205003549A
- Case key
- 96708
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 of the wheel-equipped airplane reported that, while landing on an unimproved snow-covered airstrip, he misjudged the surface condition. He added that, as the nose gear touched down, the wheel broke through the snow and that the airplane turned sideways and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the front windshield and both wings. 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 wheel-equipped airplane reported that, while landing on an unimproved snow-covered airstrip, he misjudged the surface condition. He added that, as the nose gear touched down the wheel broke through the snow, turned sideways, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the front windshield and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N271BJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36069
- Built
- 1957
- Engine
- Franklin 335/180, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 25, 2017
- Departed
- JNU · Juneau, AK
- Destination
- Juneau, AK
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- PAJN, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 26, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 952 KB 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.