Piper PA-18-150 accident near Homer, Alaska, July 3, 2009
On July 3, 2009 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N4299Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Homer, Alaska. It was a personal flight 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 excessive airspeed during approach to compensate for turbulence, resulting in a hard landing and runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2009 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4299Z · registry record · serial 18-8558
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing at an off-airport site surrounded by trees. The pilot stated that while on approach he increased his airspeed due to turbulence. The airplane landed hard and bounced. He added power to abort the landing, but realized that he could not climb over the trees at the end of the landing area and closed the engine throttle. As the airplane touched down again it continued off the end of the site and collided with brush. The pilot said that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and that he should have used a slower approach airspeed or performed a go-around earlier in the landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar and aileron.
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
- Turbulence encounter during approach
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,848 hours in all; 4,350 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4,740 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,406 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAHO Homer AK at 2:40 pm
- Destination: Homer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PAHO, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.