Piper PA 18-150 accident near Nenana, Alaska, June 21, 2014
On June 21, 2014 at about 9:15 am local time, a 1963 Piper PA 18-150, registered N4000Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Nenana, 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 excessive braking following his overshoot of the intended touchdown point on a short airstrip, which resulted in nose-over of the airplane. A contributing factor was the pilot's mental distraction during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2014 · about 9:15 am local time
- Place
- Nenana, 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, built 1963 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4000Z · registry record · serial 18-7951
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he circled the short, remote strip to determine the best wind for landing and, upon finding only light and variable winds, he decided to land to the east. He said that he missed his intended landing point by about 30 feet then cut the engine power and didn't retract the flaps. He said that the airplane's tail came up, and he relaxed the brakes, then the tail started to settle. He said that he then reapplied brakes, and the airplane nosed over. He estimated that he had about 100 feet of landing strip remaining ahead of the airplane at the spot where it nosed over. He noted that, during all of his previous landings at the remote strip, he had heavy baggage in the rear seat and cargo area of the airplane. He also noted that he was distracted with other things on his mind during the landing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to rudder and vertical stabilizer and damage to wing ribs.
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 overshoot during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 695 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 630 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,647 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A2B (piston); 2,647 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTF Fairbanks AK
- Destination: Nenana AK
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from PANN, 7 miles away
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.