Event ANC93LA091

Factual narrative

On June 15, 1993, at 1810 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Aeronca Chief AR11 airplane, N40003, crashed during a landing attempt on runway 31 at the Lake Hood Strip in Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot in command/certificated flight instructor/owner/operator of the airplane and the student/private pilot, the sole occupants, were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight, which originated at the Merrill Field Airport at approximately 1745, was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 for the purpose of providing flight instruction in conventional wheel aircraft to the private pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was not filed. The flight instructor and the private pilot were interviewed separately at the scene of the accident by the NTSB investigator in charge. Both individuals reported that shortly before the mishap, the private pilot had performed approximately four uneventful full stall wheel landings on the same runway. On the fifth landing, the airplane touched down to the left of the imaginary runway center line. The private pilot said that while the tailwheel was still off of the ground, he applied right rudder to bring the airplane back towards the centerline. The flight instructor said that he to applied right rudder to assist the private pilot. The airplane immediately responded and veered to the right crossing the centerline. The private pilot said that he attempted to arrest the directional path of the airplane by depressing the left wheel brake and rudder pedal simultaneously but was not successful. The flight instructor said that he depressed his left rudder pedal but the airplane did not respond. The airplane was not equipped with wheel brake controls at the flight instructors position. The airplane subsequently proceeded off the right side of the runway, down an approximate three foot embankment, and flipped over. An on scene examination of the plane's wheel and brake system found them to be in proper working order. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO THE PRIVATE PILOT ON TAKEOFF AND FULL STALL LANDING TECHNIQUES IN CONVENTIONAL WHEEL AIRCRAFT. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN TO THE LEFT OF THE IMAGINARY RUNWAY CENTERLINE. WHILE THE TAILWHEEL WAS STILL IN THE AIR, THE PRIVATE PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BOTH APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER TO BRING THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT CROSSING THE CENTERLINE. THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPRESSED HIS LEFT WHEEL BRAKE AND RUDDER PEDAL SIMULTANEOUSLY, BUT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT RESPOND. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT HE ALSO DEPRESSED HIS LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH WHEEL BRAKE CONTROLS AT THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S POSITION. IT PROCEEDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY (OFF ABRUPT RUNWAY EDGE), ENCOUNTERED SOFT MUD, AND FLIPPED OVER. AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR, WHEEL, AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY FOUND THEM TO BE IN PROPER WORKING ORDER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12