Piper PA 16 accident near Afton, Wyoming, March 31, 2019
On March 31, 2019 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1949 Piper PA 16, registered N676SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Afton, Wyoming (Afton Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and loss of directional control and the airplane’s subsequent impact with a snowbank and nose-over during an attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2019 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Afton, Wyoming · Afton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 16 No Series, built 1949 · all PA 16s on the register
- Registration
- N676SC · no longer on the register · serial 16-676
- 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, upon landing, the airplane bounced twice and started to veer left. He immediately applied power to go around, but the main landing gear struck a snowbank, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,293 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,094 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,405 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2B (piston); 3,021 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AFO Afton WY at 4:45 pm
- Destination: AFO Afton WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 7,025 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KAFO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 29, 2019. 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.