On April 10, 1995, a Piper PA-18 (registration N82735) operated by Brian Stevenson was involved in an aviation accident near Copper Center 2, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to retract the wheel skis before landing, which resulted in the airplane nosing over upon touchdown. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot failed to retract wheel skis before landing on a semi-dry runway, resulting in the aircraft nosing over due to improper gear configuration.
What happened
The accident occurred when an airplane equipped with wheel skis landed improperly. To operate the aircraft on skis, the pilot must manually pump down the ski mechanism. When the skis are pumped down, the wheels do not make contact with the runway surface. The pilot stated that he did not use the checklist prior to landing and touched down with the skis still deployed. The airplane landed on a semi-dry runway and subsequently nosed over.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the configuration of the landing gear at the time of impact. It was confirmed that the wheel skis were in the deployed position, preventing the main wheels from supporting the aircraft's weight on the ground. The pilot admitted to bypassing the pre-landing checklist procedures.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to retract the wheel skis before landing, which resulted in the airplane nosing over upon touchdown.
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