- Date
- March 31, 2019, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Afton, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N676SCPiper PA 16
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190331002249A
- Case key
- 99193
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 bounced landing and loss of directional control and the airplane’s subsequent impact with a snowbank and nose-over during an attempted go-around.
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, upon landing, the airplane bounced twice and started to veer left. He immediately applied power to go around, but the main landing gear struck a snowbank, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, upon landing, the airplane bounced twice and started to veer left. He immediately applied power to go-around, but the main gear struck a snow bank, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, the automated weather reporting station reported that the wind was calm. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 34.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N676SC
- Reported as
- Piper PA 16 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16-676
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 2,405
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 2018
- Departed
- AFO · Afton, WY
- Destination
- AFO · Afton, WY
- Airport
- AFO · Afton Muni, runway 34, 7,025 × 75 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,293 total · 34 in this make and model · 2,094 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KAFO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 635 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.