Piper PA-18-150 accident near Bethel, Alaska, July 29, 2001
On July 29, 2001 at about 2:40 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N6893B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethel, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing. A factor associated with the accident was a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2001 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N6893B · no longer on the register · serial 18-5083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated commerical pilot, with one passenger aboard, was landing to the northwest, which required a correction for a strong left crosswind. As the airplane touched down, it bounced, and he added full engine power to abort the landing. The airplane veered to the right, went off the right side of the runway, and the right wing struck a stand of trees. The airplane rolled down an embankment, and sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,169 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,138 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 13, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 2001; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BET Bethel AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6893B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.