Piper PA-18 accident near Palmer, Alaska, April 10, 2005
On April 10, 2005 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N8960C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, which resulted in a loss of control and the airplane nosing over during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2005 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · 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
- N8960C · registry record · serial 13-3261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was landing his tailwheel airplane on a rough and uneven gravel bar. He reported that the main landing gear wheels encountered a depression in the gravel bar during the landing roll, and he was unable to keep the airplane from nosing over and sustaining structural damage. He stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 348 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 323 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,968 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2004; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK1 Palmer AK at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 085° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC05LA056.