Piper PA-18 accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, October 17, 2004
On October 17, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N5057Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska (Sheffield Strip). 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in a collision with terrrain during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident were a rough/rutted and snow-covered airstrip surface, 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
- October 17, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chickaloon, Alaska · Sheffield Strip · 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
- N5057Y · registry record · serial 18-7890
- 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 landing a tundra tire and tailwheel-equipped airplane on a remote, snow-covered airstrip. The airstrip was oriented north/south, and was about 1,200 feet long and 50 feet wide. The pilot indicated that the surface of the airstrip was covered by about six inches of snow. The pilot said that during the landing roll, the left main landing gear tire dropped into a rut that was filled with snow. The airplane then ground looped to the left, and departed off the left side of the airstrip, into an area of brush. The airplane's right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane received damage to the right wingtip, the left wingtip, and the 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
- Flight time: 60 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BGQ Big Lake AK at 1:00 pm
- Destination: Chickaloon AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°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 N5057Y 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.