- Date
- December 6, 2000, 11:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gleneden Beach, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5639HPiper PA-16
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001206022959A
- Case key
- 50740
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's excessive application of main wheel brakes. Factors include the pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his inadequate remedial action during his attempt to regain control.
Analysis
During the landing roll, the student pilot was unable to keep the tailwheel aircraft from drifting toward the edge of the runway. As the aircraft got closer to departing the runway, the pilot increased braking to a point that caused the aircraft to tip up on its nose and fall over onto its back.
Factual narrative
On December 6, 2000, approximately 1110 Pacific standard time, a tailwheel-equipped, Piper PA-16, N5639H, nosed over during the landing roll at Siletz Bay State Airport, Gleneden Beach, Oregon. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 solo training flight, which departed Independence Airport, Independence, Oregon, about 25 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft was on a VFR flight plan. There was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the student pilot, his approach was "right on target," and his touchdown was "smooth." But, during the rollout, the aircraft started to drift toward the right side of the runway. The pilot applied left rudder, which eventually was pushed to its travel limit, but according to the pilot, the aircraft continued to drift to the right. He therefore started applying brakes, hoping to stop the aircraft before it departed the runway. As he approached the edge of the runway surface, the pilot increased his braking pressure. He said he was "too hard on the brakes and the nose of the airplane went down." The aircraft then stood on its nose and fell slowly over on its back.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5639H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-16
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16-250
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harriet Murphy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 27, 2000 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- 7S5 · Independence, OR
- Destination
- S45
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- S45 · Siletz Bay State Airport, runway 35, 3,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 111 total · 111 in this make and model · 95 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N5639H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.