PIPER PA 18-150

Nenana, AK — June 21, 2014

Event Information

DateJune 21, 2014
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberANC14CA045
Event ID20140624X33704
LocationNenana, AK
CountryUSA
Coordinates64.51000, -148.81694
Highest InjuryNONE

Aircraft

MakePIPER
ModelPA 18-150
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDUSK
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
None1
Total Injured0

Event Location

Probable Cause

The pilot's excessive braking following his overshoot of the intended touchdown point on a short airstrip, which resulted in nose-over of the airplane. A contributing factor was the pilot's mental distraction during the landing.

Full Narrative

The pilot stated that he circled the short, remote strip to determine the best wind for landing and, upon finding only light and variable winds, he decided to land to the east. He said that he missed his intended landing point by about 30 feet then cut the engine power and didn't retract the flaps. He said that the airplane's tail came up, and he relaxed the brakes, then the tail started to settle. He said that he then reapplied brakes, and the airplane nosed over. He estimated that he had about 100 feet of landing strip remaining ahead of the airplane at the spot where it nosed over. He noted that, during all of his previous landings at the remote strip, he had heavy baggage in the rear seat and cargo area of the airplane. He also noted that he was distracted with other things on his mind during the landing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to rudder and vertical stabilizer and damage to wing ribs.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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