Piper PA-18 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, February 16, 2005
On February 16, 2005 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N9071D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 takeoff, which resulted in ski assembly damage during the takeoff run from a frozen, snow-covered lake, and subsequent nose over during an emergency landing. Factors contributing to the accident were an overload failure of the ski tip retaining assembly, and a hidden obstruction on the surface of the lake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2005 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, 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
- N9071D · registry record · serial 18-6437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was departing a snow-covered frozen lake in a ski-equipped airplane. The lake was covered by about one-and-a-half feet of snow. The pilot said the lake is about 1/4 mile long, and he was taking off toward the east. During the takeoff run, as the airplane was about to lift off, the left ski struck a bump, or unseen object of some kind in the snow. The left ski tip rotated downward, to a near vertical position, and the pilot indicated that the ski tip retaining cable and bungee were dangling loose. The pilot made an emergency landing on the lake, and during the touchdown, the tip of the left ski dug into the snow. The airplane nosed over and received substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
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: 1,200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,304 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Talkeetna AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N9071D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC05LA036.