Piper PA-18-135 accident near Willow, Alaska, May 14, 2010
On May 14, 2010 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N1123, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Willow, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree due to the effects of impairment from alcohol consumption.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2010 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Willow, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N1123 · no longer on the register · serial 18-4034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight departed a private airport about 3 miles south of the accident site. A witness reported seeing the airplane approaching at a low altitude. The witness observed the airplane's left wing strike a tree about 100 feet from his location. The airplane continued and passed overhead, crashing in a wooded area behind him. The witness recalled that the airplane's engine sounded as though it was producing power and that the airplane maintained level flight. The accident site was on a broad, flat expanse of tree-covered land. The airplane impacted a single tree located between the parking area and the park administration building; the top 8 feet of the 50-foot-tall tree was severed. The airplane subsequently impacted additional trees and terrain at the rear of the building. An examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. Within the wreckage, an open container of beer was found located in the cockpit at the base of the pilot's seat. Toxicological testing performed on the pilot's specimens detected 106 (mg/dL, mg/hg) ethanol in the blood, which is equivalent to a 0.106 percent blood-alcohol level. He had slightly higher vitreous and urine alcohol levels, consistent with the recent ingestion of alcohol and with impairment due to that ingestion. A review of law enforcement records revealed that the pilot had two alcohol and driving related convictions in 1994 and 1996. After the second conviction, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requested that this pilot undergo psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations, which did not formally result in a diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence, but noted that having the convictions gives an indication that the pilot does have problems with drinking and that alcohol consumption is an area of potential danger for him. Despite these concerns, the FAA issued a medical certificate to the pilot without any further follow-up required.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of personnel › FAA/Regulator
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Willow AK at 1:45 pm
- Destination: Willow AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from PAUO, 12 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.
Other NTSB records under N1123 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.