Probable cause
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point during a practice off-airport landing.
NTSB analysis
During a local area personal flight, the pilot decided to make a practice landing on a gravel bar near the middle of a river. With limited landing distance, the pilot decided to fly his approach at a low airspeed, with the intention of touching down at the very edge of the bar. While on short final, the airplane encountered a downdraft and its main landing gear tires touched the surface of the water, whereupon it flipped over onto its back and came to rest upon the surface of the gravel bar. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. As a result of the accident sequence, the top of the rudder and one lift strut were bent.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11CA040 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Nov 3, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Carnation, Washington
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-18-150
- N-number
- N4389Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.