Piper PA 11 accident near Petersville, Alaska, September 14, 2017
On September 14, 2017 at about 1:30 am local time, a 1947 Piper PA 11, registered N4741M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Petersville, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s overapplication of brakes, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2017 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Petersville, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 11 NO SERIES, built 1947 · all PA 11s on the register
- Registration
- N4741M · registry record · serial 11-254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while performing a wheel landing on an unimproved gravel airstrip, a wind gust lifted the "weight off of [the] tires and initiated a skid." He added that, as the airplane settled back on the airstrip, the tail rose rapidly due to the brakes being applied, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 149.3 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 27.5 in the last 90 days; 20.6 in the last 30 days; 95.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,377.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 1,147 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Petersville AK
- Destination: Petersville AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PATK, 51 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 7, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.