ANCHORAGE, AK, USA
N9028M
Cessna 180H
The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane during flat light conditions. An area of plowed snow was located at the approach end of the runway. The airplane's main landing gear touched down about 15 feet short of the plowed portion of the runway. The airplane nosed down, and slid off the edge of the runway where it then nosed over.
On February 22, 1998, about 1110 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 180H airplane, N9028M, sustained substantial damage when the airplane nosed over during landing at the Merrill Field Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane is registered to and operated by the pilot. The certificated commercial pilot, and three passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Soldotna Airport, Soldotna, Alaska, about 1038. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on February 23, 1998, at 1000, the pilot reported he was landing on runway 33 at Merrill Field. He said the lighting conditions were flat, and he inadvertently landed short of the runway. The airplane's main landing gear touched down in an area of snow, about 15 feet short of the plowed portion of the runway. The airplane nosed down, and slid off the edge of the runway where it then nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing tip, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder.
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point on the runway. Factors in the accident were: snow covered terrain at the approach end of the runway and flat light conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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