Piper PA 18-150 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, September 30, 2013
On September 30, 2013 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA 18-150, registered N40579, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Wasilla, 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 improper preflight inspection, and failure to remove heavy frost from the airplane prior to attempting a takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2013 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wasilla, 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 A150, built 1976 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N40579 · registry record · serial 18-7509129
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting to takeoff from a public street, but the airplane would not climb, and struck a light pole, sustaining substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot stated that he failed to remove heavy frost from the airplane prior to the takeoff attempt. He also stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Structural icing during prior to flight defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to structural icing › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,991 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2013; 210 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 5,991 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wasilla AK at 11:30 am
- Destination: 5NK Naknek AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.44 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PAAQ, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on March 13, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.