No fatalities

25 Sep 2017: PIPER PA 18 150 — Beluga, AK

Beluga, AK, United States

On 25 Sep 2017, a PIPER PA 18 150 was involved in an aviation accident near Beluga, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s inability to maintain pitch control due to an encounter with a tailwind gust after the airplane had stopped, which resulted in a nose-over. 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-equipped airplane nosed over after landing on tundra terrain, coming to rest inverted with substantial rudder damage. The pilot had shut off the engine prior to touchdown to prevent a potential nose-over.

Incident Details

According to the pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane, the landing was conducted on tundra with an uphill slope. Prior to touchdown, the pilot intentionally shut off the engine as a precaution against a possible nose-over event. After the landing roll, the airplane came to a complete stop on level ground. At that point, a tailwind gust lifted the tail, causing the aircraft to balance on its nose for approximately 10 seconds. A second gust then pushed the airplane over, and it came to rest inverted.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot's Account

The pilot stated that the shutdown of the engine was done "in case of a nose over event" and described the sequence of events that led to the aircraft overturning. The report did not include any information about injuries, weather conditions, or other factors beyond those described.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotAttain/maintain not possible

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation