# NTSB WPR11CA098: Piper PA-18-150, N4030Z, Austin, NV, January 13, 2011

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: January 12, 2011, 16:00 local (Jan 13, 2011, 00:00 UTC)
- Place: Austin, NV
- Coordinates: 36.240024, -115.229278 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2400&lon=-115.2293&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report May 26, 2011
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 78153
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR11CA098
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/78153/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78153
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11CA098

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: snow/slush/ice covered surface](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [All aircraft, 219 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023015/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot was on a local flight around his home airport when he decided to see how much snow was on the local mountains. He observed a ridge top airstrip where he had landed on several previous occasions, and saw that most of it was blown clear of snow. He overflew the airstrip, decided that it looked good, and made an uneventful landing. He walked around a bit, looked at snow depths, and then departed back to his home airport. During the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted too far to the right over what he thought was ground covered with light snow. It was actually a snow drift made from snow that had blown to the side of the ridge. The airplane started pulling to the right as a result of contact with the snow drift. The pilot still thought that the airplane would take off without difficulty, but the right main tire broke through the crust and dug in. The airplane nosed over onto the snow drift, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

## Factual narrative

The pilot was on a local flight around his home airport when he decided to see how much snow was on the local mountains. He observed a ridge top where he had landed on several previous occasions, and saw that most of it was blown clear of snow. He overflew the strip, and looked it over closely. He decided that it looked good, and made an uneventful landing. He walked around a bit, looked at snow depths, and then departed back to his home airport. During the takeoff roll, the airplane got a little too far to the right over onto what he thought was ground covered with light snow. It was actually a snow drift made from the snow that had blown to the side of the ridge. The airplane started pulling to the right as a result of contact with the snow drift. The pilot still thought that the airplane would take off without difficulty, but the right main tire broke through the crust and dug in. The airplane nosed over onto the snow drift. The pilot quickly shut off all switches, put his arm up to the ceiling to brace himself, and released his seat belt and shoulder harness. After just a few seconds, he went back into the airplane, shut off the fuel selector valve, and retrieved a snowmobile suit that he had in the baggage along with a global positioning system (GPS) unit, a personal locator beacon, and a survival kit. He was able to get a cell phone signal, and called his wife to set up a pick up point. He hiked, mostly in the dark, 2-3 miles with 3,000 feet of downhill elevation change through very deep snow to get to the pick up point.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N4030Z (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150 (150)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 18-7988
- Airframe hours: 1935
- Engines: Lycoming O-360-C4P 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Joe Dory
- Registered owner: Joe Dory
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: Annual, November 6, 2010, 15 hours before
- Departed: Austin, NV
- Destination: 9U3, Austin, NV

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 7, 2010; seat: front; flight hours: 6,047 total, 855 in this make and model, 6,019 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 8 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: 37 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observed at: KLOL, 90 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20110112005199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110112005199A), Jan 12, 2011: Piper PA-18-150, Austin, NV, Substantial damage. The pilot stated that while on departure from a high ridge on top of a mountain that had a snow covered strip, he drifted to the right into a snow berm causing…

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78153. 316 KB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 316 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342122&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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