- Date
- April 10, 2019, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sisters, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N92798Piper PA 12
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190410006379A
- Case key
- 99238
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 failure to maintain pitch control during the landing roll, 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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the approach, the wind speed increased and became turbulent. He recalled that, during the landing roll, "I immediately applied a slight amount of forward stick," but when the tailwheel contacted the surface, "the wind suddenly changed to a tailwind," and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, both wing lift struts, and the engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest METAR, located at an airport 1 mile away from the accident site, reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 10 knots, visibility was 10 statute miles, and the clouds were broken at 6,500 ft mean sea level and deteriorating. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 20.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the approach, the wind velocity increased and became turbulent. He recalled that during the landing roll, "I immediately applied a slight amount of forward stick," but when the tailwheel contacted the surface, "the wind suddenly changed to a tailwind," and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, both wing lift struts, and the engine mounts. The nearest METAR was located at an airport 1 mile away from the accident site, and reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 10 knots. The visibility was 10 statute miles, and the clouds were broken at 6,500ft MSL and deteriorating. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 20. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92798
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-244
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Tailwheel Productions Llc
- Registered owner
- Tailwheel Productions Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Other
- Departed
- S33 · Madras, OR
- Destination
- 65K · Sisters, OR
- Airport
- 6K5 · Sisters Eagle Air, runway 20, 3,560 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 28, 2018
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 100 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 88
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 17, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.42 inHg
- Observed at
- KPDX, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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.