Piper PA-18-150 accident near Paxon, Alaska, April 28, 2012
On April 28, 2012, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N7059, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Paxon, 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
A separation of the right main landing gear suspension strut assembly due to overstress, which resulted in the collapse of the main landing gear while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2012
- Place
- Paxon, 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
- N7059 · registry record · serial 18-8043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was landing a ski-equipped airplane on a remote, frozen and snow-covered lake. He said that as the skis contacted the flat and smooth snow-covered ice, the airplane pitched forward violently, then to the right, and then back to the left. A postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear had collapsed and subsequently folded under the airplane. An examination of the right main landing gear revealed a fractured suspension strut that had fractured laterally across a bored and threaded area of the suspension tube. The fractured tube was examined under magnification and there was no evidence of external corrosion. The tube had a long radius bend adjacent to the internal threads. The fracture had a clean, evenly colored fracture surface, and no evidence of repeated fracturing (beach marking). The fracture appearance is consistent with an overstress fracture. The pilot noted that, other than the fractured main landing suspension strut, 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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 2,400 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 26, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,575 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 24, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: State Of Alaska Department Of Public Safety
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Anchorage AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Paxon AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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 N7059 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.