Narrative:

Sequence of events: 2 tundra-tire (31 inch alaska bushwheel tires) equipped aircraft landed uneventfully on the sandbar. After they taxied out of the way I landed in the same area; following their rollout path. As my rollout was coming to an end and while the aircraft was moving slowly; there was a loud noise from the right gear and shortly afterwards aircraft gently nosed over; causing a propeller strike and sudden engine stoppage. The ELT did not activate; there were no injuries; and there was no property damage other than to the aircraft. After exiting the aircraft and examining the tire tracks in the sand it appeared that 1) the right gear struck a 1 1/2 inch diameter tree branch protruding vertically from the sand and apparently caused the loud noise heard during rollout; 2) the tailwheel was allowed to come off the sand as the aircraft slowed down; and 3) the sand was deep and soft. Apart from causing a momentary distraction; the tree branch did not appear to have played a role in the nose-over. The cause appeared to be pilot error: failure to keep the control stick full aft during rollout. The problem could have been avoided by 1) receiving instruction from an experienced local pilot on how to recognize and test sand conditions prior to attempting a landing; 2) landing on firmer sand; 3) holding the stick back at all times after touchdown; 4) fitting the aircraft with 31 inch alaska bushwheel tires. After the nose-over; the aircraft was inspected. Damage to the propeller appeared minor (minor leading edge nicks; but no bending; twisting or deformation). No damage to the gear; firewall; bulkheads; cowling; engine mount; wing struts; or wings was noted. The small nicks in the propeller were dressed with a file. The engine was run up and the propeller cycled and no abnormal conditions or vibrations were noted. The aircraft was uneventfully flown back to its home base for maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA12 PILOT REPORTS NOSING OVER AFTER LANDING ON A SAND BAR IN THE RIVER.

Narrative: SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: 2 TUNDRA-TIRE (31 INCH ALASKA BUSHWHEEL TIRES) EQUIPPED ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON THE SANDBAR. AFTER THEY TAXIED OUT OF THE WAY I LANDED IN THE SAME AREA; FOLLOWING THEIR ROLLOUT PATH. AS MY ROLLOUT WAS COMING TO AN END AND WHILE THE ACFT WAS MOVING SLOWLY; THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM THE R GEAR AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS ACFT GENTLY NOSED OVER; CAUSING A PROP STRIKE AND SUDDEN ENG STOPPAGE. THE ELT DID NOT ACTIVATE; THERE WERE NO INJURIES; AND THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO THE ACFT. AFTER EXITING THE ACFT AND EXAMINING THE TIRE TRACKS IN THE SAND IT APPEARED THAT 1) THE R GEAR STRUCK A 1 1/2 INCH DIAMETER TREE BRANCH PROTRUDING VERTICALLY FROM THE SAND AND APPARENTLY CAUSED THE LOUD NOISE HEARD DURING ROLLOUT; 2) THE TAILWHEEL WAS ALLOWED TO COME OFF THE SAND AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN; AND 3) THE SAND WAS DEEP AND SOFT. APART FROM CAUSING A MOMENTARY DISTR; THE TREE BRANCH DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE NOSE-OVER. THE CAUSE APPEARED TO BE PLT ERROR: FAILURE TO KEEP THE CTL STICK FULL AFT DURING ROLLOUT. THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY 1) RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FROM AN EXPERIENCED LCL PLT ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND TEST SAND CONDITIONS PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING A LNDG; 2) LNDG ON FIRMER SAND; 3) HOLDING THE STICK BACK AT ALL TIMES AFTER TOUCHDOWN; 4) FITTING THE ACFT WITH 31 INCH ALASKA BUSHWHEEL TIRES. AFTER THE NOSE-OVER; THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED. DAMAGE TO THE PROP APPEARED MINOR (MINOR LEADING EDGE NICKS; BUT NO BENDING; TWISTING OR DEFORMATION). NO DAMAGE TO THE GEAR; FIREWALL; BULKHEADS; COWLING; ENG MOUNT; WING STRUTS; OR WINGS WAS NOTED. THE SMALL NICKS IN THE PROP WERE DRESSED WITH A FILE. THE ENG WAS RUN UP AND THE PROP CYCLED AND NO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS OR VIBRATIONS WERE NOTED. THE ACFT WAS UNEVENTFULLY FLOWN BACK TO ITS HOME BASE FOR MAINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.