No fatalities

2 Sep 2008: PIPER PA-18-150 — STILLER MARK R — Palmer, AK

Palmer, AK, United States

On 2 Sep 2008, a PIPER PA-18-150 operated by STILLER MARK R was involved in an aviation accident near Palmer, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A private pilot experienced a nose-over after the left main landing gear and tailwheel struck a bump during the landing roll at an off-airport site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and lift-strut.

Accident Details

The accident occurred while the pilot was conducting a landing at an off-airport site, which was the third such landing of the day. During the final portion of the landing roll, the left main landing gear wheel struck a bump, causing the aircraft to bounce approximately 2 feet into the air. As the main wheel descended, the tailwheel subsequently contacted the same bump, resulting in the airplane nosing over.

Pilot Account

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane prior to the accident. He described the sequence of events: the initial bounce after the left main gear hit the bump, followed by the tailwheel striking the same obstacle and the subsequent nose-over.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and right lift-strut.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDecision related to condition

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeAircraft oper/perf/capability — Not attained/maintained