Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
improper planning/decision by the pilot, and his selection of unsuitable terrain on which to land a ski equipped airplane.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On April 14, 1996, about 1900 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski equipped Piper PA-18, N3908Z, nosed over during landing at an unimproved landing area near Palmer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14 CFR 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by Wiederkehr Air Inc., Palmer, Alaska, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from the Yentna River area about 1700.
The pilot reported that he was landing toward the northeast at an airstrip located on his farm. The landing area is about 1,500 feet long, 50 feet wide, and consists of dry sod. The pilot indicated that the airplane decelerated when the skis contacted the landing surface. The airplane's tail began to rise and the airplane nosed over, damaging the rudder.
In the narrative portion of the pilot/operator report (NTSB form 6120.1/2), the pilot stated, in part: "...After landing on my sod runway the airplane slowed rapidly because the surface wasn't slick enough for skis."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC96LA050