- Date
- August 15, 2019, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- McCarthy, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2534MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190815017079A
- Case key
- 100095
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 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, during landing on an uphill, 4,500-ft-long unimproved airstrip, the airplane bounced and floated. When the airplane touched down again, he applied brakes, and upon reaching the end of the airstrip, he aggressively applied brakes, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. 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 tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during landing, on an uphill, 4,500 ft long unimproved airstrip, the airplane bounced and "floated." When the airplane touched down again, he applied brakes, and upon reaching the end of the airstrip, he aggressively applied brakes and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was 180° at 5 knots. The airplane landed to the north.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2534M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-926
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,352.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2019
- Departed
- 15Z · Mccarthy, AK
- Destination
- na · McCarthy, AK
- Equipment
- None
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 998 total · 971 in this make and model · 960 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 7.6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Observed at
- PAMX, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 17, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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 N2534M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.