Piper PA-18 accident near Koliganek, Alaska, September 18, 2006
On September 18, 2006 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N82905, was substantially damaged in an accident near Koliganek, Alaska. It was a business 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 adequate altitude/clearance from rising terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were a downdraft, the pilot's intentional low altitude flight, and his inadequate weather evaluation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2006 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Koliganek, 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
- N82905 · registry record · serial 18-7709197
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot reported he was flying at a low altitude over rising terrain during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 business flight, searching for sites to deploy a tent camp in support of a lodge operation. While approaching a ridgeline, he stated that a powerful downdraft forced the airplane into a brush-covered hillside. The pilot reported that neither he nor the sole passenger were injured, and that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings and fuselage structure.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 93 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sleetmute AK
- Destination: Koliganek AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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 N82905 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.