Piper PA-18-150 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, September 26, 2011
On September 26, 2011 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N8998Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Chena Marina Seaplane airport). 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 student pilot's hard landing in a gusting wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2011 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Chena Marina Seaplane · 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
- N8998Y · no longer on the register · serial 18-7509132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot was landing the float-equipped airplane on choppy water in a gusting wind. The airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical issues with the airplane prior to the accident, and he stated that he should not have flown in those conditions.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Longerons/stringers (main fus) › Damaged/degraded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 273 hours in all; 273 in this make and model; 273 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,943 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK28 Fairbanks AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: AK28 Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- 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 N8998Y 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.