- Date
- June 16, 2018, 22:00 local (Jun 17, 2018, 06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Salcha, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9098DPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180616020009A
- Case key
- 97509
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 the brakes during 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, while landing on an unimproved, off-airport site, he applied too much brake pressure, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift struts, empennage, and fuselage. 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 on an unimproved, off-airport site, he applied too much brakes, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift struts, empennage, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9098D
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6478
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 3,366.99
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 11, 2018
- Departed
- 31AK · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- Salcha, 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 26, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 50 in this make and model · 69 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.63 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEI, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 834 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.