Event ANC21LA088

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that prior to landing at an off-airport, rocky and tundra covered, uphill slope landing site, he made several passes over the area looking for hazards and “dragged” the wheels to test the landing surface. During the landing, the airplane touched down slightly past the “ideal spot”, he applied the brakes, but the airplane did not slow as much has he had expected. As the airplane reached the top of the knoll and started down the other side it began to weathervane to the right. He applied the brakes to avoid rocks and the airplane encountered a large hole that he had “not seen from the air.” Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted sustaining substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that the accident may have been avoided if he had selected a more suitable landing site. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Debris/dirt/foreign object-Response/compensation
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Mountainous/hilly terrain-Effect on operation