During an instructional flight in a tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-18-150, the pilot receiving instruction touched down at the airport in Wasilla, Alaska, and the airplane began to veer towards the edge of the runway surface.
The instructor pilot reported that, due to limited visibility he was slow to correct the veer.
The instructor took control of the airplane and applied the brakes, which resulted in a nose-over and substantial damage to the rudder and right wing strut.
He told investigators that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The instructor pilot’s delayed action and over application of brakes which resulted in a nose-over.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This November 2023 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Interesting comments in the “Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation” section of the NTSB Form 6120.1…”Conduct tailwheel endorsement training at airports with wider gravel strips that provide a larger margin of error. Acquire tailwheel instructor training complete with techniques to detect and overcome student deviations.”
Wider runways are always a great idea, and grass works too if you’re in a gravel-deficient location. In my experience, a lot of “tailwheel instructors” are self-taught, so formal T/W instructor training is also a great idea.
The 8,400-hour ATP/CFI had 89 hours TT in the make and model, including 60 hours ‘instructing’, presumably all from the back seat. This accident resulted from him not being able to maintain SA while trying to see around the front-seat student.
Given that, I probably would have added “If possible, utilize an airplane with side-by-side seating for initial tailwheel transition training.” Or something to that effect. Makes it a lot easier on both the CFI and “learner”.
Looking at the grass and the tundra tires I ask myself if brakes would be needed there at all?
I expect somebody will correct me?
Taildragger with ballon tires? -If not in danger of hitting something, run off into the grass. Then you might need the brakes anyway. Ask me how I know….. (Anyway, instructors should teach this as a possible alternative action in this situation)
Yet another example of an instructor asleep at the stick.
/J