Piper PA-18-160 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, August 16, 2001
On August 16, 2001 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-160, registered N3685Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). 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 inadvertent ground loop during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2001 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · 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
- N3685Z · registry record · serial 18-7417
- 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 was landing a tailwheel, tundra tire-equipped airplane on a dry, paved runway. During the landing roll, the airplane veered slightly to the left. The pilot added right rudder to correct the veer, but this action had no effect. The airplane ultimately ground looped to the left, and both main landing gear collapsed. The right wing struck the surface of the runway, and sustained substantial damage. .
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,854 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,285 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2001; 51 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: WAS Wasilla AK at 12:30 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:05 am from MRI
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 N3685Z 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.