- Date
- June 1, 2018, 23:30 local (Jun 2, 2018, 07:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nulato, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3937MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180601006809A
- Case key
- 97390
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing on upsloping terrain, and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an attempted go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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, while landing off airport on an upsloping ridge, the tailwheel-equipped airplane "touched down harder than preferred." He applied full throttle, initiated a go-around, and attempted to turn toward the down-sloping side of the hill. The airplane briefly became airborne, but it then aerodynamically stalled and nosed down into the tundra. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. 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, while landing off airport on an upslope of a ridge, the tailwheel-equipped airplane "touched down harder than preferred". He applied full throttle, initiated a go-around, and attempted to turn towards the downslope side of the hill. The airplane briefly became airborne but then aerodynamically stalled and nosed down into the tundra. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3937M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2825
- Built
- 1947
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 2018
- Departed
- GAL · Galena, AK
- Destination
- NUL · Nulato, 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 24, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 315.3 total · 211.1 in this make and model · 252.5 as pilot in command · 20.6 in the last 90 days · 16.2 in the last 30 days · 2.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKV, 44 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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 N3937M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.