On 5 Feb 2012, a PIPER PA-18 was involved in an aviation accident near Thedford, NE. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During landing rollout, the left main gear struck ice, causing a veer left. Corrective efforts failed; the airplane spun over 90 degrees, impacted terrain and a snowbank, and nosed over inverted, resulting in substantial damage.
Accident Details
The private pilot was conducting a landing rollout on the runway when the left main gear contacted a patch of ice. This caused the airplane to veer to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the veer, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The airplane then spun more than 90 degrees nose to the left, exiting the runway and impacting terrain and a snowbank. The impact caused the airplane to nose over and come to rest inverted.
Aircraft Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage, right wing, and right wing strut. No further damage items were reported.
Contributing factors
Causes
Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot