Piper PA-18-150 accident near Stony River, Alaska, April 3, 2010
On April 3, 2010, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N82732, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Stony River, Alaska. It was a public-use flight (state) under public-use (government) rules. 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during taxi from landing, which resulted in the airplane sliding into trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2010
- Place
- Stony River, 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
- N82732 · registry record · serial 18-7709182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was on a public use wildlife patrol in a ski-equipped airplane when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that he landed on a frozen lake to make contact with the owner of a wilderness lodge, and that while taxiing from landing the airplane slid off the taxi area and into trees. The pilot said that he attempted to determine wind conditions on the ground and elected to land upslope to the east. He reported that his landing slide was longer than anticipated and he thought about going around. After almost coming to a stop, he said that he steered the airplane to the right edge of the landing area and attempted to use power to blow the tail of the airplane around; however, when he added power the skis failed to catch and the left wing struck a tree. Upon exiting the airplane he realized that he had landed downwind and that the wind appeared to be about 6 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot noted substantial damage to both wings.
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 taxi (from runway) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 27, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,316 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: State Of Alaska
The flight
- Departed from: PAMC Mcgrath AK at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Stony River AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N82732 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.