Accident Details
On August 30, 2009, at approximately 1750 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-18 tailwheel-equipped airplane (registration N743) sustained substantial damage when it nosed down during a landing at an off-airport site located about 25 miles southeast of Bethel, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect.
Aircraft and Operator
The airplane was being operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in support of a law enforcement mission. The flight was conducted as a visual flight rules (VFR) public use flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The aircraft had departed Bethel at approximately 1415.
Sequence of Events
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on August 31, a spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Service reported that the pilot stated he applied the brakes heavily during the landing, causing the airplane to nosedown. No known mechanical anomalies with the airplane were reported prior to the accident.
Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage of the aircraft.