- Date
- January 26, 2011, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Toutle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N92LWWalker Louie H Super 18 Cuby
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Spokane FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110126001339A
- Case key
- 78228
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 excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in the airplane nosing over onto its back. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land on a sandbar that he had not adequately inspected and his improper airspeed while on final approach.
Findings · 4
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
According to the pilot, while en route to his destination airport he decided to land on a sandbar in a nearby river. After touching down on the sandbar, the pilot realized that the available stopping distance was less than he had thought, so he applied hard braking in order to stop the airplane. During the braking sequence the airplane nosed over onto its back, resulting in substantial damage to the top portion of the rudder. The pilot said that he had not properly inspected the landing zone, and that his airspeed was too fast on final approach. He also stated that the airplane did not experience any mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while en route to his destination airport, he decided to land on a sandbar in a nearby river. After touching down on the sandbar, the pilot realized that the available stopping distance was less than he had thought, so he applied hard braking in order to stop the airplane. During the braking sequence the airplane nosed over onto its back, resulting in the top portion of the rudder being bent over. The pilot said that he had not properly inspected the landing zone, and that his airspeed was too fast on final. He also stated that the airplane did not experience any mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92LW
- Reported as
- Walker Louie H Super 18 Cuby
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- LW5870
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gray Carey G
- Registered owner
- Gray Carey G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- KCLS · Chehalis, WA
- Destination
- KPLU · Puyallup, WA
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,519 total · 1,096 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 25, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 137 KB 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.