Piper PA-18-160 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 9, 2003
On July 9, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-160, registered N7051, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in an encounter with high brush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-160 · all PA-18-160s on the register
- Registration
- N7051 · registry record · serial PA18-2932
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot selected a dirt road to practice a proficiency landing. During the landing roll, the left wing contacted high brush encroaching on the landing area. The airplane made a sharp left turn, and stopped at the edge of the landing area. Both wingtips and the left aileron were damaged.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 209 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 14,000 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 15, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,865 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2003; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PASX Soldotna AK at 5:15 pm
- Destination: Z41 Anchorage AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N7051 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.