Piper PA-18 accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, August 11, 2007
On August 11, 2007 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N7051, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcgrath, Alaska. It was a public-use flight (state) 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was rough and uneven terrain conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2007 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska
- 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
- N7051 · registry record · serial 18-2932
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An Alaska State Trooper pilot was landing a tundra-tire equipped airplane on a 1,500-foot long rough gravel site. During the landing roll, the pilot said he applied the brakes and pushed the elevator control stick forward in an attempt to dampen the effects of the rough terrain. In his written statement to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, in part: "Too much forward stick was applied, causing the aircraft to roll onto its nose, striking the prop and spinner and eventually coming to rest upside-down." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and right wing. The pilot said 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: 412 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 369 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,449.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2007; 34.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mcgrath AK at 2:05 pm
- Destination: Farewell AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N7051 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.