Summary
On July 31, 2014, a Piper PA 18 (N8461D) was involved in an accident near Traverse City, MI. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's loss of directional control during landing, resulting in a runway excursion and the airplane nosing over.
The pilot reported that the tailwheel equipped airplane "pulled left" during landing and he was unable to correct in time to prevent a runway excursion. He noted that he should not have used the brakes when he realized that the airplane was going off the runway, which might have prevented the airplane from nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and right elevator. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions related to the airplane before the accident. He reported a left quartering headwind at 13 knots at the time of the accident.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN14CA404. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N8461D.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing, resulting in a runway excursion and the airplane nosing over.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that the tailwheel equipped airplane "pulled left" during landing and he was unable to correct in time to prevent a runway excursion. He noted that he should not have used the brakes when he realized that the airplane was going off the runway, which might have prevented the airplane from nosing over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and right elevator. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions related to the airplane before the accident. He reported a left quartering headwind at 13 knots at the time of the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN14CA404