No fatalities

20 Apr 2012: PIPER PA-18-150 — Sierraville, CA

Sierraville, CA, United States

On 20 Apr 2012, a PIPER PA-18-150 was involved in an aviation accident near Sierraville, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not maintain directional control during the landing roll. 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 a third practice landing, a tail-wheel airplane drifted left, struck a berm, snagged a barbed wire fence, and nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and both wings.

Accident Sequence

The pilot had just completed two uneventful practice landings in the tail-wheel equipped airplane. For the third attempt, the pilot performed a three-point landing, after which the airplane began to drift left. The pilot countered with full engine power, but the airplane drifted beyond the runway edge. The landing gear then struck a berm, causing the airplane to bounce into the air. During the bounce, the airplane snagged a barbed wire fence. Subsequently, the main landing gear dug into the earth, and the airplane nosed over.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and both wings during the accident sequence.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot