Piper PA-18-150 N7780Y accident near Palmer, Alaska

Probable cause

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for an off-airport landing, which resulted in a ground-loop.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed from a private airstrip in a wheel/ski-equipped airplane on a local area flight. During the flight, he elected to land on an ice-covered, frozen lake, and, due to the bare ice conditions, he elected to land in a wheel configuration instead of ski configuration. During the landing roll, as the airplane slowed, the left tire broke through a layer of thin ice atop several inches of water, and the airplane veered left. The pilot applied engine power in an attempt to correct the veer, but the airplane subsequently ground-looped to the left, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC13CA019 for the full record.