Piper PA-18-180 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, September 28, 2004
On September 28, 2004 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18-180, registered N3685Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, which resulted in a nose over. A factor associated with the accident was tundra.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2004 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-180 · all PA-18-180s 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 commercial certificated pilot was landing in a tundra-covered meadow. The pilot said that prior to landing, he made two passes over the site and visually checked the condition of the landing site before the accident landing. He said that during the landing roll, the main landing gear tires broke through the tundra, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing and left wing lift struts. The pilot noted that there were 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,215 hours in all; 353 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,584 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 2004; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,752 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IYS Wasilla AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.