No fatalities

6 Sep 2010: PIPER PA-18-160 — Michael A. Chapman — Arctic Village, AK

Arctic Village, AK, United States

On 6 Sep 2010, a PIPER PA-18-160 operated by Michael A. Chapman was involved in an aviation accident near Arctic Village, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during an off-airport landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A solo private pilot reported his tailwheel airplane nosed over after the tailwheel struck a raised portion of the landing surface during an off-airport landing, causing a propeller strike and structural damage.

Accident Details

A solo private pilot was conducting a local personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that he was landing at a rough and uneven off-airport site in a tailwheel airplane equipped with 31-inch tundra tires. As he entered the landing flare, the tailwheel contacted a raised portion of the landing surface. This impact pushed the tail of the airplane upward and forced the nose downward, resulting in the propeller striking the ground.

Sequence of Events

After the propeller hit the ground, the pilot stated he was unable to maintain control. The airplane subsequently nosed over. The accident sequence caused structural damage to both wings and the rudder. The pilot noted that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane that precipitated the accident.

Aircraft and Operator Information

The aircraft was a tailwheel configuration equipped with oversized tundra tires intended for off-airport operations. The flight was operated under general aviation rules. No additional details about the aircraft registration, operator, or specific location were provided in the source material.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome