Piper PA-18 accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, May 23, 2005
On May 23, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1087A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 an overrun. A factor contributing to the accident was rough and uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N1087A · registry record · serial 18-673
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was transporting hunting and camp supplies to a remote area in support of a hunting party. He landed the tundra tire-equipped airplane on a remote mountain ridge where previous wheel tracks were visible. During the landing roll, the pilot said that when he applied the brakes, the large tundra tires began to bounce over the rough terrain, and he was being careful not to apply excessive braking action. The airplane overran the pilot's intended landing area, and the right main tire encountered a depression. The right wing and propeller struck the ground. The aircraft mechanic who repaired the airplane reported that he repaired the leading edge of the right wing, and replaced a wing nose rib.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,300 hours in all; 3,200 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,835 hours
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK28 Fairbanks AK at 11:30 am
- Destination: Delta Junction AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.