NTSB Factual Report

On July 22, 2013, about 1948 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire, tailwheel-equipped, Howard M. Shepherd Supercub experimental amateur-built airplane, N13NV, nosed over during landing on a remote tidal beach at Freshwater Bay, Chichagoff Island, about 15 miles east-southeast of Hoonah, Alaska. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 with no flight plan filed. The flight departed Juneau International Airport, Juneau, Alaska, at an undetermined time.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector assigned to the Juneau Flight Standards District Office examined the airplane after its recovery and reported that it sustained substantial damage to the rudder, left wing spar, and both wing lift struts. In addition, the FAA inspector reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The FAA inspector also reported that friends of the pilot that were familiar with the circumstances of the accident said that while the accident pilot was landing at the remote beach site, he inadvertently touched down slightly faster than anticipated on the soft beach. During the landing roll the pilot applied heavy braking, and the airplane subsequently nosed over on the soft beach terrain.

The pilot did not respond to numerous telephone and mail requests, and no NTSB Form 6120 was received.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable off-airport landing site and his subsequent landing at too high of an airspeed, which resulted in his excessive use of brakes during the landing roll and resulted in a nose-over.