The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped Champion reported that during the landing rollout at an off-airport landing site near Palmer, Alaska, as he was applying the brakes, the airplane encountered a series of “whoops” or bumps on the landing surface.
After the airplane rolled over the first bump, the tail began to rise, followed by the propeller hitting the second bump.
The airplane nosed-over, sustaining substantial damage to both lift struts, while the pilot sustained serious injuries.
The pilot told investigators the accident may have been prevented if he had selected a more suitable landing site.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing which resulted in a nose-over.
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This July 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I’m an experienced pilot and I’m appalled by the lack of common sense and judgment shown by the pilot in this accident report. Landing on unsuitable terrain is a recipe for disaster, and it could have been easily avoided by doing a proper preflight planning and site inspection. The pilot was lucky to survive, but he put himself and his airplane (and passengers) at unnecessary risk. This is not how you fly a tailwheel aircraft, or any aircraft for that matter. I hope he learns from his mistake and never repeats it again. Flying is a privilege, not a right, and it comes with great responsibility. We need to respect the rules and regulations, and always fly with safety as our top priority.
“Flying is a privilege, not a right”? You must work for the FAA or the AOPA. The Lord giveth and the government take the away.
Landing speed too high?
Extra stress due to illegal extra passenger worries?
Only 2 seat belts.
Bold pilots and old pilots, but never old bold pilots.
There always has to be a “first” incident. From what I can tell, it sounds like even though he was a low time pilot, he has made off airport landings in the past, (as recently as that same day maybe), with no incidents. From the report, the adults were he and his wife with their 5 YOA child on his wife’ lap. Many of pilots, I’m sure, have done the same thing even though they probably wont admit it. I don’t consider that as an overloaded aircraft or squeezing three adults into a two seat airplane which I would term as reckless or unsafe. There are very high time pilots with thousands of hours of off airport landings who have balled it up from some unforeseen circumstance on that “last landing”. 130 hours or 1030 hours, it can happen to anyone. Every low time pilot has to start somewhere if off airport is what they want to fly. I’m glad this pilot and his family are safe and they walked away from the incident. He now has some experience of what to look for on his next off airport landing attempt and will make better judgement calls when inspecting a potential landing area. Even with experience and inspecting off airport landing areas, high time pilots, (and low time), will continue to have incidents. It’s the nature of how we live our lives as pilots and the chances we take to ply our trade or hobby. The reports are filled with off airport incidents but we continue to fly because it gives us that something special the rest of the population will never know. The best we can hope is something is learned, the injuries are light and damage to the plane is minimal. As long as your not flying reckless or in a dangerous manner….. Glad you and your family are safe.
With respect, after reading this response, all I can say is “wow”…
Perhaps your attitude is one reason why the NTSB scrolls are so full of Alaskan GA “off airport” accidents.
If this young pilot is committed to becoming the next Don Sheldon, Merle “Mudhole” Smith, or Wien brother, there are plenty of ways to gain that experience without taking unwarranted, ill-advised, FAR-violating risks.
In my experience flying in Alaska, as a civilian CFI, taildragger owner, and USAF fighter pilot, I encountered many individuals who thought they could teach themselves the art and science of ‘bush flying’ simply by attempting to follow someone else‘s “rules of thumb”, “word-of-mouth” techniques, “war story” anecdotes, and today, of course, from watching YouTube videos.
What this pilot did, and what your response advocates, rates right up there with the other symptoms of “bush pilot syndrome”: Flying A/C at weights well over their max certificated GW, or otherwise outside their approved ‘flight envelope’; blatant disregard for any/all Part 91 operating rules; flying without a valid/current pilot certification or medical; flying modified A/C without appropriate STCs or 337 field approvals…the list goes on and on…
Sorry…call me a “stickler” for following rules and teaching others to do the same.
But the biggest issue is folks going out and trying something for the “N-th” time without the training, or risk-mitigating common sense, to handle the “whoops”, if & when they happen.
I am also very glad that all 3 occupants survived; but
I wonder…if one of the back-seat passengers had been seriously injured instead of the pilot…how would this discussion go?
A 130-hour, Alaska “bush pilot wanna-be“ attempts an unplanned, off-airport landing at a very remote site…just for fun…with 3 people wedged into a 2-seat Citabria. What could possibly go wrong?
Just another Fat Tire Cowboy thrown off his horse.