- Date
- March 28, 2026, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spanaway, WA · Shady Acres Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3484MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA SEA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260328006929A
- Case key
- 202716
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 application of brakes, which resulted in the airplane tipping forward onto its nose.
Findings · 1
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 of the tailwheel airplane reported that she was on a stable approach to a narrow runway. She performed a wheel landing and applied braking to slow the airplane before lowering the tailwheel. During the landing roll she observed trees and a drop-off in elevation at end of the runway. The pilot became concerned that there was insufficient remaining stopping distance, and applied additional braking force. The airplane tipped forward and slid to a stop on its nose. Subsequently, the left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3484M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2080
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,255
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Niner One Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 2026 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- KPLU · Puyallup, WA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 3B8 · Shady Acres, runway 16/34, 1,800 × 20 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- June 19, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 509 total · 460 in this make and model · 408 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KPLU, 4 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPLU 281035Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 04/03 A3011 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.