Piper PA-18-180 accident near Valdez, Alaska, August 17, 2011
On August 17, 2011 at about 4:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18-180, registered N91134, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Valdez, 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 failure to maintain the proper approach path, which resulted in a runway undershoot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2011 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Valdez, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-180 · all PA-18-180s on the register
- Registration
- N91134 · no longer on the register · serial 18-8109074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was attempting to land a tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site, which was surrounded by higher terrain on all sides. Before beginning his approach, the pilot determined the wind conditions and then planned an approach into a 10-knot headwind. He said that, while on final approach to the site, he "side-slipped" the airplane to steepen the approach, and a sudden wind shift caused the airplane to descend faster than anticipated. He was unable to arrest the descent, and the airplane's main landing gear wheels collided with a mound about 150 feet short of the intended touchdown point. The airplane bounced as the pilot added engine power to cushion the landing, and as it touched down again, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies 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
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,137 hours in all; 659 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,078 as pilot in command; 30 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 29, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,059 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2011; 8 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Valdez AK at 7:40 pm
- Destination: Valdez AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:00 pm
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.