Pilot Debrief

HOWARD M. SHEPHERD SUPERCUB near Hoonah, AK — 2013-07-23

Final reportANC13LA089
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Date
2013-07-23
Location
Hoonah, AK, USA
Aircraft
HOWARD M. SHEPHERD SUPERCUB
Registration
N13NV
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable off-airport landing site and his subsequent landing at too high of an airspeed, which resulted in his excessive use of brakes during the landing roll and resulted in a nose-over.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped, experimental, amateur-built airplane on a soft, remote tidal beach. Friends familiar with the circumstances of the accident said that, while landing at the beach, the pilot inadvertently touched down faster than anticipated. During the landing roll on the soft beach, the pilot applied heavy braking, and the airplane subsequently nosed over. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after recovery reported no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a different landing technique for soft terrain.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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