Piper PA-22-150 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, May 15, 2009
On May 15, 2009 at about 2:25 am local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N1999P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Talkeetna, Alaska (Talkeetna Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in a ground loop and substantial damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2009 · about 2:25 am local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Talkeetna Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N1999P · registry record · serial 22-2710
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel airplane on a hard-surfaced dry runway, which required a correction for a 5-knot right crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane’s tailwheel began to shimmy, and the pilot applied a slight amount of forward elevator to stop the shimmy. He said that the airplane then swerved to the left, and went off the left side of the runway. The airplane subsequently ground-looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed, striking the right wing on the gravel-covered shoulder of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot indicated that there were no pre-accident mechanical problems with the airplane, other than the tailwheel shimmy. On May 29, under the supervision of the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the tailwheel was disassembled and inspected, and no pre-accident mechanical anomalies were discovered.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 593 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 484 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 4, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,773 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2009; 20 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 8:20 pm
- Destination: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PATK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N1999P 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC09CA043.