Accident Overview
On June 11, 2009, at about 0700 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Cessna 170B airplane, registration N2783D, sustained substantial damage during a nose-over while landing at Merrill Field in Anchorage, Alaska. The aircraft was being operated by the student pilot owner under visual flight rules (VFR) as a dual instruction flight, in accordance with Title 14, CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
Pilot Statements
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on June 12, 2009, the student pilot owner stated that the flight instructor was on the controls and landed hard. The airplane bounced, touched down again, veered off the runway, and nosed over. The student pilot owner reported that the aircraft sustained damage to both wings, lift struts, and the fuselage. He indicated that there were no known mechanical issues with the airplane prior to the accident.
In a written statement to the NTSB dated November 4, 2009, the flight instructor reported that he landed the airplane with a quartering tailwind of about 8 to 11 knots. As the airplane slowed, the tailwind caused the nose to swing to the right, resulting in a ground loop and subsequent nose-over. The instructor further noted that the accident could have been prevented by not landing with a tailwind.
Damage and Conditions
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, including both wings, lift struts, and the fuselage. Neither the student pilot nor the flight instructor were injured. No mechanical malfunctions were reported prior to the accident.