Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Charlotte, North Carolina
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Monroe, North Carolina
Accident Number: ERA20CA223
Date & Time: June 22, 2020, 13:34 Local
Registration: N3681Z
Aircraft: Piper PA18
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Nose over/nose down
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was returning to his farm and performed both high and low "reconnaissance flights" over the farm field before landing. He stated the landing was normal until the airplane struck some taller weeds in the field and nosed over, substantially damaging the tail. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He stated that he had not expected the weeds to be so high and that cutting all vegetation in the landing area might have prevented the accident.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's inadequate assessment of the landing area, which resulted in the airplane's encounter with tall weeds during landing and a subsequent nose-over.
Findings
Personnel issues Identification/recognition - Pilot
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Environmental issues (general) - Awareness of condition
Environmental issues (general) - Effect on equipment
Factual Information
History of Flight
Landing-landing roll Nose over/nose down (Defining event)
Landing-landing roll Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Pilot Information
Certificate: Airline transport; Commercial; Flight instructor
Age: 48, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea; Multi-engine land; Multi-engine sea
Seat Occupied: Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane multi-engine; Airplane single-engine; Instrument airplane
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: May 5, 2020
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: October 14, 2019
Flight Time: 2437.3 hours (Total, all aircraft), 300.1 hours (Total, this make and model), 2299.3 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 38.2 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 23.5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N3681Z
Model/Series: PA18 150
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1960
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 18-7410
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: January 13, 2020 100 hour Certified
Max Gross Wt.: 1750 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 11 Hrs
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2665.9 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C126 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320 A3B
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 150 Horsepower
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: EQY,683 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 2 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 12:53 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 44°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 10 knots / 17 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: Unknown / Unknown
Wind Direction: 210°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: Unknown / Unknown
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 21°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Monroe, NC (EQY)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Monroe, NC
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 13:20 Local
Type of Airspace: Class G
Airport Information
Airport: Charlotte-Monroe Executive EQY
Runway Surface Type: Grass/turf
Airport Elevation: 682 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Vegetation
Runway Used:
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop;Traffic pattern
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 34.998889,-80.644165
Thank God the pilot wasn't seriously hurt, but come on, he tried to land in a field that looked like that! I know he said he flew over the field to look at it, and it can be hard to judge the condition of a field from the air. But when coming in to land he should have been able to see those very tall weeds, and aborted his landing. Plus even in a field that bad, I don't think larger tires would have made much difference.
ReplyDeleteThese type of incidents happen daily with the bush plane craze. To be cool, you need to have big meats
ReplyDeleteand raked stance to obscure forward view. Add in low time tailwheel pilot, Training in a champ, J-3, Citabria. Then head for Idaho backcountry and drop into some cool remote places. I keep wondering how this activity affects our insurance rates, let alone small plane and experimental plane safety statistics. Maybe let nature follow its course.
I think larger tires would have prevented this or at least looked cooler.
ReplyDeleteThis accident makes no sense. This was not an unplanned movement of the aircraft.
ReplyDeletePilot was repositioning aircraft from a public use paved airport to a farm field because of airport construction. The pilot stated "I have landed on the farm several times in various aircraft and have walked the general landing location.
After several low reconnaissance passes and noting the tall weeds, I selected a landing location that had no obvious tall weeds."
Really...Pilot knew what they were doing. Being a "farm" with enough acreage to land a plane on, surely, there was a tractor and a "Bushog" available to mow several passes to at least attempt to make a suitable landing zone.
So this guy's got these ratings, with a flight instructor endorsement and can't figure out this was a bad idea.
Sign me up for off field landing practice!
ROBERT THOMPSON DICKSON JR
MONROE NC 28110-9521
County: UNION
Country: USA
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Medical Information:
Medical Class: Second Medical Date: 5/2020
MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES.
BasicMed Course Date: None BasicMed CMEC Date: None
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Certificates
AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR
Certificates Description
Certificate: AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT
Date of Issue: 6/4/2019
Ratings:
AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
COMMERCIAL PRIVILEGES
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEA
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE SEA
PRIVATE PRIVILEGES
ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER
Type Ratings:A/CE-525S
Limits:
ENGLISH PROFICIENT.
AUTHORIZED EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT: N-P51.
Get your lazy farmer as out there and bush hog the dam field.
ReplyDelete