No fatalities

2 Mar 2014: SILVAIRE LUSCOMBE 8E — Alegnagik, AK

Alegnagik, AK, United States

On 2 Mar 2014, a SILVAIRE LUSCOMBE 8E was involved in an aviation accident near Alegnagik, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to determine that the ice that he was taxiing on was safe for operation. 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 taxi on a frozen lake, a tailwheel airplane's main landing gear broke through overflow ice, causing the aircraft to nose over and sustain substantial fuselage damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies.

Incident Summary

A tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced a nose-over event after its main landing gear broke through overflow ice while taxiing on a frozen lake. The pilot had just landed the aircraft on the lake surface and was proceeding toward a cabin when both main landing gear wheels penetrated the ice. The airplane subsequently nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane before the accident that would have prevented normal operation. He noted that the accident could have been avoided if he had contacted a local lodge owner to check the ice conditions prior to landing. The pilot's statement highlights the importance of verifying surface conditions for operations on frozen bodies of water.

Damage Assessment

The fuselage sustained substantial damage as a result of the nose-over. No other damage items were specified in the report. The aircraft's tailwheel configuration may have influenced the outcome, but no analysis of contributing factors was provided.

Contributing factors

Awareness of conditionPilot