Piper PA-18 accident near Healy, Alaska, September 6, 2004
On September 6, 2004 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N7472D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Healy, Alaska. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a collision with vegetation and a nose over. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2004 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Healy, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N7472D · registry record · serial 18-5807
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot was departing from a tundra/gravel covered area along a creek. He described the takeoff area as 20 feet wide, by 300 feet long, with a dogleg turn to the left, and an additional takeoff area of 600 feet. The entire takeoff area slopes downhill. The pilot said he was departing toward the north, with a 6 to 10 knot tailwind. He said about 100 feet past the dogleg turn to the left, the tailwind pushed the tail of the airplane to the right. The nose of the airplane veered to the left, collided with willow bushes, and nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing lift struts, the rudder, and the right elevator.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Healy AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Healy AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC04CA105.