- Date
- December 23, 2007, 09:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9086YPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20071223830709A
- Case key
- 67303
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 loss of partial engine power during cruise for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the snow covered terrain.
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.
Analysis
The pilot said that his engine started running rough while flying over mountainous terrain. There was a large snow covered meadow beneath him, so he circled it while trying to resolve his engine problem. His attempts to regain full power were unsuccessful. The airplane was equipped with large tundra tires, and the pilot believed that a precautionary landing under partial power was more prudent than proceeding to the nearest airport while crossing mountain ridges and over flying the surrounding forest. During a wheel landing in the snow, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The forward section of the airframe, both wings spars, and the vertical stabilizer were bent. The reason for the partial power loss was undetermined.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that while flying over mountainous terrain, his engine started running rough. There was a large snow covered meadow beneath him, so he circled it while trying to resolve his engine problem. His attempts to regain full power were unsuccessful. The airplane was equipped with large tundra tires, and the pilot believed that a precautionary landing under partial power was more prudent than proceeding to the nearest airport while crossing mountain ridges and over flying the surrounding forest. During a wheel landing in the snow, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The forward section of the airframe, both wings spars, and the vertical stabilizer were bent. The reason for the partial power loss was undetermined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9086Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8914
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tristano Caracciolo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TRK · Truckee, CA
- Destination
- 4SD · Reno, NV
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,685 total · 143 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.51 inHg
- Observed at
- TRK, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.