Piper PA-18 accident near Paxson, Alaska, August 26, 2004
On August 26, 2004 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N8597D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paxson, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a collision with a rock and subsequent main landing gear collapse during the landing roll. A factor contributing to the accident was rough, uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 2004 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Paxson, 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
- N8597D · registry record · serial 18-6248
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot was landing a tundra tire-equipped airplane at a remote landing spot at the conclusion of an on-demand passenger flight. The pilot said the landing area was a rocky ledge, about 900 feet long, and about 12 feet wide, located along the edge of a glacier, about 5,500 feet msl. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collided with a rock, and the gear collapsed. The right wing struck the ground, and received damage to the wing spar. The pilot indicated that the visibility in the area consisted of hazy conditions with smoke and light rain.
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; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,900 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 7,600 as pilot in command; 910 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,512 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 24, 2004; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 40 Mile Air Ltd.
The flight
- Departed from: 6K8 Tok AK at 10:30 am
- Destination: Paxson AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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 N8597D 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.