Piper PA-18 accident near Homer, Alaska, June 16, 2001
On June 16, 2001 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N6966D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Homer, Alaska (Homer airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadvertent ground loop. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2001 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · Homer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N6966D · no longer on the register · serial 18-5547
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, holder of a student pilot certificate, was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane at the conclusion of a local area flight. He said he landed hard, the airplane bounced, and then ground looped to the left. The right main landing gear wheel rim was broken, and the right wingtip scraped the ground. The pilot said his total accrued flight time was about 55 hours, and he was uncertain if the airplane sustained any damage to the wing structure. One month later, an airplane mechanic notified the NTSB IIC, and reported that the right wing received damage to the wing spar.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 55 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2001; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAHO Homer AK at 11:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,701 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from PAHO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N6966D 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.