Piper PA-22/20 N8842D

Summary

On 9 April 2011 at about 23:00 local time, a Piper PA-22/20 registered N8842D, operated by Meadows Marcus M, was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 April 2011 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Talkeetna Village Strip Airpor (AK44)

Coordinates

62.3206, -150.0936

Aircraft

Piper PA-22/20

Registration

N8842D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Meadows Marcus M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Talkeetna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC11CA023

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of a soft, slushy runway for landing, resulting in a noseover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he contacted a nearby Federal Aviation Administration Flight Service Station (FSS) to ask if any airplanes had taken off or landed at the snow-covered, unattended gravel airstrip that was his destination. The FSS specialist stated that airplanes had landed there earlier in the day, but he did not have information about the runway condition. The pilot overflew the airstrip about 500 feet above the ground and it appeared to be hard packed, with signs of use. During the landing roll, the airplane's tires encountered soft slush and the airplane nosed over, collapsing the right wing lift-strut. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane and that he was unaware that the airstrip was used primarily by ski-equipped airplanes during the winter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.