Piper PA-18 accident near False Pass, Alaska, March 19, 2005
On March 19, 2005 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N3996Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near False Pass, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in a collision with the ground and subsequent nose over. Factors contributing to the accident were a downdraft, and the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2005 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- False Pass, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N3996Z · registry record · serial 18-7945
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was departing from an open area of tundra, which was about 800 feet long by 600 feet wide. He said the wind was from the southeast about 10 to 15 knots, and he began a takeoff toward the southeast. The pilot said that just after liftoff, a few feet in the air, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The left wing struck the ground, and the airplane collided with the ground and nosed over. The airplane received damage to both wings, the fuselage, empennage, and propeller.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 502 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: False Pass AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KFP
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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 N3996Z 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.