Piper PA-18-150 accident near Nikolai, Alaska, March 4, 2008
On March 4, 2008 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N985W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nikolai, Alaska. 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 inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions. Contributing to the accident was an inadvertent stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2008 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nikolai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N985W · registry record · serial 18-7609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated flight instructor was providing wilderness flying instruction to a private certificated student pilot. The student pilot said that he and the instructor were in the lead airplane of a flight of three. He said they were departing from a frozen lake, and that the takeoff area was mostly glare ice. The wind was gusting heavily, and the other two airplanes taxied out first. Both airplanes lost control, and spun into the wind. Since the others were having trouble maintaining directional control, the instructor told him to taxi to the center of the lake. He said he suggested taxiing farther down the lake to give them more takeoff length, but the instructor said no. The student pointed the airplane toward the lowest point in the hills surrounding the lake, and applied takeoff power. When the airplane reached flying speed, he pulled in full flaps as instructed. Approaching the hills they encountered gusts and downdrafts, the climb rate declined, and the instructor took the controls. The student asked if he should reduce the flaps, which were full down, and the instructor said no. The instructor turned the airplane to the left to avoid hitting the lodge. The airplane settled into the trees, and collided with a structure, receiving substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
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
What happened, in order
- 350240 during loss of engine power
- 650470 during 650
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Residence/building › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, ASE, APLN, none
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: type not recorded, March 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Cub Training Specialist LLC
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: Nikolia AK at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N985W 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 ANC08LA039.