Cub Crafters PA-18 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, March 27, 2005
On March 27, 2005 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cub Crafters PA-18, registered N955DW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International 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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, and the dual student's failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2005 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cub Crafters PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N955DW · registry record · serial 9969CC
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor was providing tailwheel instruction to the private pilot/airplane owner. While landing on runway 19L, a 6,500 foot long by 100 foot wide hard-surfaced runway, the instructor said that the airplane swerved to the left and the private pilot made a correction to the right by completely deflecting the right rudder. The instructor stated he also applied the right brake in addition to ensuring that the rudder was all the way to the right, but the airplane continued to the left. The right main landing gear subsequently collapsed, and the right wing contacted the runway, sustaining structural damage to the main spar. The instructor stated that he wasn't sure, but thought it possible the left brake had heated up, and was dragging during the accident landing. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector disclosed no evidence of any mechanical malfunction of the left brake or wheel assembly. Wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 163 degrees (magnetic) at 5 knots.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,860 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 10,400 as pilot in command; 990 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 75 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005; 0.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19L, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 163° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from PAFA
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.