Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary ANC96LA091

ANCHORAGE, AK, USA

Aircraft #1

N27036

Piper PA-18

Analysis

The private pilot was receiving a biennial flight review from the second pilot, holder of a flight instructor certificate, who occupied the rear seat of the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The second pilot took the controls of the airplane to demonstrate a landing on the hard mud of a tidal flat. He reported that his view of the terrain was obscured by the first pilot. During the landing roll, the second pilot kept the tail of the airplane up. The first pilot noticed that the airplane was nearing an area of water and the second pilot applied heavy braking. The airplane nosed over and received damage to the propeller, rudder, and the forward left wing lift strut.

Factual Information

On June 17, 1996, about 1900 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18, N27036, crashed during a touch and go landing, about 14 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to the first pilot, sustained substantial damage. The first pilot, a certificated private pilot, and the second pilot, holder of a flight instructor certificate, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Birchwood Airport, Chugiak, Alaska, about 1745. The accident airplane was observed overturned by a passing airplane in the Chickaloon Flats area near the Big Indian Creek, located on the northern shore of the Kenai Peninsula. The pilot of the passing airplane landed and picked up the pilot of the accident airplane. On June 20, 1996, at 1130, the first pilot of the accident airplane reported in an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), that he was completing the flight portion of a biennial flight review. The second pilot, who does not hold an FAA medical certificate, occupied the rear seat and took the controls of the airplane to demonstrate a landing on the hard mud of the tidal flats. The second pilot reported in a telephone interview that his view of the terrain was obscured by the first pilot. During the landing roll, the second pilot kept the tail of the airplane up and the first pilot noticed that the airplane was nearing an area of water. The second pilot applied heavy braking and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the propeller, rudder, and the forward left wing lift strut.

Probable Cause and Findings

The flight instructor's excessive application of the brakes during the landing roll. A factor in the accident was the flight instructor's restricted view of the landing area.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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