No fatalities

12 Oct 2019: Champion 8GCBC No Series — Ralph R Pocock Farms Inc — Henrys Lake, ID

Henrys Lake, ID, United States

On 12 Oct 2019, a Champion 8GCBC No Series operated by Ralph R Pocock Farms Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Henrys Lake, ID. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to land on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a nose-over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot flying a tailwheel and tundra tire-equipped airplane experienced a nose-over during landing on a soft off-airport field after attempting to add power when the surface was softer than expected.

Incident Overview

A pilot operating a tailwheel and tundra tire-equipped airplane reported that during an off-airport landing, the aircraft nosed over after the landing surface proved softer than anticipated. The pilot had conducted a "3-point attitude landing and performed a soft field landing" but found the terrain too soft, leading to an attempt to recover by adding power.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage as a result of the nose-over. The damage was confined to the structure of the aircraft; no other components were reported affected.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The incident occurred during a landing on an unimproved field, with the pilot noting that the surface condition was softer than originally expected, prompting the power addition that preceded the nose-over.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot's account, the landing approach was executed as a soft-field landing in a three-point attitude. Upon touchdown, the softer-than-expected ground caused the airplane to decelerate abruptly. In response, the pilot applied power in an attempt to prevent the aircraft from nosing over, but the maneuver was unsuccessful, and the airplane flipped onto its nose.

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on operationDecision related to condition