Piper PA-18 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, May 15, 2005
On May 15, 2005 at about 9:13 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N8275U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska (Dillingham airport). It was an instructional 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 instructor pilot's inadequate supervision, and the dual student's failure to maintain directional control. Factors associated with the accident were a crosswind, and an inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2005 · about 9:13 pm local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · Dillingham · 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
- N8275U · registry record · serial 18-7909102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was providing flight instruction to the student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The flight instructor said that just after landing on a dry, paved runway, which required a correction for a left crosswind, the student pilot allowed the airplane to veer to the left of the runway centerline. The instructor said that he took control of the airplane in an attempt to realign the airplane, but the airplane ground looped to the left, and the airplane's right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane's right wing struck the surface of the runway, and sustained structural damage. The first pilot noted that there were no 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,190 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 4,740 as pilot in command; 910 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,554.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2004; 1,532 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLG Dillingham AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: DLG
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 6,404 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 4:13 pm from DLG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.