No fatalities

23 Feb 2017: PIPER PA22 150 — Big Lake, AK

Big Lake, AK, United States

On 23 Feb 2017, a PIPER PA22 150 was involved in an aviation accident near Big Lake, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot reported that the inside of the left main landing gear and brake was packed with ice and had frozen, which prevented the wheel from rotating 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

A tailwheel airplane nosed over after landing on a snow-covered runway. The pilot reported that ice in the left main landing gear prevented wheel rotation.

Accident Details

A pilot flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced an accident while attempting to land at an airport after conducting touch-and-go landings at another airfield. The pilot intended to land at a different airport to speak with a friend.

Landing and Nose-Over

Upon touchdown on a snow-covered runway, the airplane suddenly stopped and nosed over. The pilot reported that the landing roll seemed normal until the abrupt halt.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that after the accident, examination revealed that the inside of the left main landing gear and brake assembly was packed with ice. The ice had frozen, preventing the wheel from rotating during the landing roll.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the rudder.

Probable cause

The pilot reported that the inside of the left main landing gear and brake was packed with ice and had frozen, which prevented the wheel from rotating during the landing roll.

Contributing factors

Causes

Effect on operation

Other contributing factors

Wheel/ski/float