N82057Piper PA-18-150 · 1978

The pilot reported that he was practicing off airport landings on a soft gravel strip. The pilot further reported that during the landing roll, he applied excessive brake and the airplane nosed over.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right forward lift strut and empennage.

The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

The solo private pilot made a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. During an aborted landing on a beach, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it struck debris and impacted terrain. In a written statement the pilot said he didn't like the feel of the terrain during the landing, and added power to abort the landing. He said the airplane struck debris during the aborted landing. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that the propeller and left main landing gear was damaged during the accident. He further stated that he should have looked over the landing area better prior to landing, and had a better exit plan. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge the mechanic who repaired the airplane, said he also repaired/replaced two nose ribs in the left wing's leading edge, and the left wingtip bow. He also replaced the damaged left lift strut at the owner's request.

On August 6, 2008, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N82057, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at a remote airstrip, about 16 miles west-southwest of Tyonek, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Lake Hood Strip, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1615, and no flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 7, the pilot reported that he was landing toward the southeast on a sandy area that was about 900 feet long, and about 50 feet wide. As he applied the brakes in an area of soft sand, the airplane nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the fuselage, left wing, left wing strut, and the vertical stabilizer.

In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, the pilot noted in the section of the report for "Recommendation (How could this accident have been prevented?)" that he could have landed "a little slower so as to not need any braking to get stopped before the soft sand, or land somewhere else."