Piper PA-18 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, June 13, 2002
On June 13, 2002 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1888A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in the right wing striking the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2002 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International · 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
- N1888A · registry record · serial 18-1718
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot was landing the tundra tire-equipped airplane on a paved runway (runway 19L). The student's flight instructor was observing the flight from the ground. The student made a three-point landing, but upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the left as the right wing and right wheel came off the ground. The student applied right aileron, and the airplane slammed down on the right wheel. The right wheel landing gear strut buckled, and the right wing struck the ground. The right wing was bent upward at the right wing lift strut attach point. The student had accrued 46 total hours. At the time of the accident, the wind conditions at the airport were 120 degrees (true) at 4 knots.
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: 46 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,885 hours in all; 4,200 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 8,750 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,355 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2001; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK at 11:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19L, 2,640 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 094° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from PAFA
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 N1888A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC02LA048.