Amateur-built PTUNDRADACTYL accident near Friday Creek, Alaska, June 20, 2019
On June 20, 2019 at about 2:00 am local time, a 2019 amateur-built PTUNDRADACTYL, registered N357WE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Friday Creek, 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 excessive brake application during landing on a short runway due to his lack of familiarity with the toe 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
- June 20, 2019 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Friday Creek, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PTUNDRADACTYL, built 2019
- Registration
- N357WE · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during a test flight, he landed on an 800-ft-long off-airport, sand-and-gravel surface, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that the accident could have been prevented by landing on a surface that "would not [have] require[d] the use of much braking until I more fully acclimated myself to the toe brake setup in this plane and to sort out any braking pressure issues a little more thoroughly."
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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- 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
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,021 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 965 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior/Lycoming SL-0-360-A1X3 (piston); 26 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABV Chugiak AK
- Destination: Friday Creek AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
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 December 5, 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 | 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.