NTSB Identification: ERA12CA278
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, April 12, 2012 in West Palm Beach, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/15/2012
Aircraft: PIPER PA-18A, registration: N12003
Injuries: 1 Minor,1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.The pilot stated that when he returned to the airport after a local flight, he elected to land on the turf runway, which intersected an asphalt runway. He said he touched down on the main landing gear “fairly long” on the first portion of the turf runway at a speed of about 60 mph. The pilot delayed lowering the tailwheel until the airplane was crossing the asphalt surface and then lowered the tailwheel firmly to the ground. The airplane began to veer left, and the pilot applied full right rudder and a “slight amount” of right brake to regain directional control. When the airplane transitioned from the asphalt surface to the turf runway, it abruptly nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted, incurring substantial damage to the rudder. An examination of the runway’s asphalt to turf transition section revealed that the airplane’s main landing gear tires dug into the turf as it left the slightly higher asphalt. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during the transition from asphalt to turf during the landing roll, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. Full narrative availableIndex for Apr2012 | Index of months