Piper PA 18A 150 accident near Kenai, Alaska, April 22, 2014
On April 22, 2014 at about 3:05 am local time, a 1958 Piper PA 18A 150, registered N9299D, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kenai, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff, resulting in a collision with terrain and ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2014 · about 3:05 am local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18A 150 A150, built 1958 · all PA 18A 150s on the register
- Registration
- N9299D · no longer on the register · serial 18-6606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off from a sloping beach in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot stated that the tide had come in, narrowing his takeoff path. During the takeoff roll, the airplane's right main landing gear tire hit an object on the beach, the airplane pivoted to the left, and the left wing struck a group of alders. The airplane ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 174 hours in all; 156 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 11, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,017 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2013; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 1,867 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABV Chugiak AK
- Destination: Kenai AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N9299D 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.