Piper PA-18-150 accident near Chicken, Alaska, September 9, 2010
On September 9, 2010 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N83395, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Chicken, Alaska (Tok Junction 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 fly at a low altitude in terrain and weather conditions conducive to turbulence and downdrafts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2010 · about 3:00 am local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Chicken, Alaska · Tok Junction · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N83395 · registry record · serial 18-7609119
- 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 and the sole passenger were on a personal Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight en route to a hunting site. While maneuvering at a low altitude to assess weather conditions and determine the viability of flying through a pass, he said he encountered turbulence and a strong downdraft. He immediately added engine power to climb, but the downdraft pushed the airplane below the tops of tall Spruce trees. The pilot said he was unable to avoid the trees, and struck trees with the right wing and then the nose of the airplane. The airplane continued to fly, and he was able to return to his home airport, where the right main landing gear collapsed on landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact 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
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 3,170 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PFTO Tok Junction AK
- Destination: PFTO Tok Junction AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 12, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N83395 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub 3,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Tok Junction Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC10CA096.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.