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GAA16CA210

2016-04-23 · Talkeetna, Alaska, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N247T

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-105 SPECIAL
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19551201
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A24BA9

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.

Factual narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he decided to land on an off-airport gravel bar. During the landing roll, the pilot reported that a "tailwind gust" lifted the airplane's tail and the airplane nosed over. The right wing lift strut and windscreen were substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he decided to land on an off-airport gravel bar. During the landing roll, the pilot reported that a "tailwind gust" lifted the airplane's tail and the airplane nosed over.  The right wing lift strut and windscreen were substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Response/compensation
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Response/compensation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA210.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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