No fatalities

26 Sep 2011: PIPER PA-12 — Talkeetna, AK

Talkeetna, AK, United States

On 26 Sep 2011, a PIPER PA-12 was involved in an aviation accident near Talkeetna, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s decision to take off from an off-airport site in variable wind. 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

During an off-airport takeoff, a wind shift to a tailwind prompted the pilot to abort. The airplane overran the runway, struck terrain, and nosed over, causing substantial damage to the left wing strut.

Event Description

The pilot was performing a takeoff from an off-airport site. During the takeoff roll, the wind direction changed, resulting in a tailwind condition. The pilot attempted to stop the airplane by aborting the takeoff, but the remaining runway length was insufficient to bring the aircraft to a halt. The airplane continued beyond the end of the runway, contacted the terrain, and nosed over.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage specifically to the left wing strut. No other damage information was provided.

Pilot Statement

The pilot reported that no mechanical anomalies existed prior to the accident. The wind shift was noted as the only unusual event during the takeoff roll.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome