Piper PA-18 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, September 5, 2009
On September 5, 2009 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N5773D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Gold King Creek Airport). It was a personal 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 decision to land on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a loss of control and a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2009 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Gold King Creek Airport · 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
- N5773D · registry record · serial 18-5275
- 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-equipped airplane on a soft, rough and uneven gravel runway at the conclusion of a local personal flight operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. He said immediately upon touchdown, the airplane veered to the right, and the right wing struck trees, which pivoted the airplane 180 degrees to the right. The left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. In his written report to the NTSB the pilot noted that the accident might have been avoided if he had landed on the first part of the airstrip where the runway was wider.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Decision related to condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,480 hours in all; 680 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,423 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 2009; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fairbanks AK at 9:00 pm
- Destination: AK7 Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,558 ft by 100 ft
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N5773D 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.