Piper PA-18-160 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, August 5, 2001
On August 5, 2001 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-160, registered N82047, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska (Nugget Bench airport). 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 compensation for wind conditions. 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
- August 5, 2001 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Nugget Bench · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-160 · all PA-18-160s on the register
- Registration
- N82047 · registry record · serial 18-7809119
- 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 on runway 01, which required a correction for a slight left crosswind. After landing, during the landing roll, the airplane veered slightly to the right. The pilot added left rudder, in conjunction with left brake to correct the veer. The airplane subsequently ground looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The right wing struck the surface of the airstrip, and sustained substantial damage. 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,907 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 183 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 2,792 as pilot in command; 1,328 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 12, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 558.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 2001; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Six Mile Lake AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 97Z Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 01, 1,240 ft by 38 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
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 N82047 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.