Piper PA-18-150 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, September 21, 2010
On September 21, 2010 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N24P, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Skwentna, Alaska. 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 rapid application of throttle and carburetor heat causing the engine to hesitate and lose power during takeoff following an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2010 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, 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
- N24P · registry record · serial 18-8109073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was landing the float-equipped airplane on a lake in visual meteorological conditions during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. Shortly after touchdown, a gust of wind turned the airplane, and the pilot elected to abort the landing. He said when he applied full throttle and carburetor heat to takeoff, the engine "stumbled and hesitated" and the airplane would not climb. The airplane descended and landed hard on the nearby tundra, causing substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. In his written report to the NTSB, the pilot noted that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane that contributed to the accident, and that he should have applied the carburetor heat more slowly while operating at altitude.
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 engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 737 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 11, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,184 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 64K Rainy Pass Lodg AK at 4:35 pm
- Destination: 64K Rainypass Lodge AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 4:12 pm from PAPT
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.
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.