No fatalities

5 May 2009: CESSNA 140 — HERAS MIGUEL A — Haines, AK

Haines, AK, United States

On 5 May 2009, a CESSNA 140 operated by HERAS MIGUEL A was involved in an aviation accident near Haines, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to practice takeoff and landings on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a nose-over on takeoff. 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 commercial pilot practicing remote beach takeoffs and landings experienced a bounce on a rocky area, then nosed over when touching down in soft sand. Substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.

Event Summary

A solo commercial pilot was conducting practice takeoffs and landings on a remote beach in his personal airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. During the accident takeoff, the airplane encountered a rocky area and bounced. When it touched down again on soft sand, the airplane nosed over.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. He reported that the sequence of events began when the airplane bounced after hitting a rocky section of the beach. The subsequent touchdown on soft sand resulted in the nose-over.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder as a result of the accident.

Contributing factors

PilotDecision related to condition