Piper PA-22-150 accident near Birchwood, Alaska, April 15, 2006
On April 15, 2006 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N7257D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Birchwood, Alaska (Birchwood 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing roll, which resulted in the loss of directional control by the student, a ground-loop, and collapse of the main landing gear. A factor associated with the accident was the student's failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2006 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Birchwood, Alaska · Birchwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7257D · registry record · serial 22-5084
- 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 dual instruction under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The flight instructor said during landing the student over-corrected with the rudder, causing the airplane to swerve to the right, and then over-corrected again by applying full left rudder. He said as he attempted to take control of the airplane, the student applied full right rudder, and the airplane swerved to the right. The instructor said the swerve to the right was more than he could correct, because there are no brakes on the rudder pedals on the right side of the airplane. He said the airplane ground-looped to the right, and the left main landing gear collapsed, resulting in structural damage to the left wing and fuselage. The instructor said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. In his written report to the NTSB, he wrote: "I should have recognized the student's over controlling sooner, and assumed control of the airplane prior to the ground-loop actually happening."
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 33 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,074 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAVB Birchwood AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19R, 4,010 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N7257D 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 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 ANC06CA045.