Piper PA 18 accident near Cantwell, Alaska, June 25, 2014
On June 25, 2014 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1950 Piper PA 18, registered N72842, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Cantwell, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 encounter with a wind gust during takeoff from a short gravel bar, which resulted in the airplane settling after rotation and striking obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2014 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cantwell, 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, built 1950 · all PA 18s on the register
- Registration
- N72842 · no longer on the register · serial 18-192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off from a gravel bar in a tailwheel-equipped airplane with a load of light, bulky cargo items. The gravel bar was in a valley location surrounded by mountainous terrain. He said that the wind indicators along the strip favored the takeoff direction, which was the same direction he had used for landing earlier. He stated that all felt normal during the takeoff roll, but the airplane encountered "a gust from behind or above" upon rotation. The airplane subsequently settled back to the surface and struck brush near the end of strip, turned, and came to a stop across a small ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the aft section of the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, right after the accident, he observed that the wind became very gusty to about 20 mph. He noted that the wind condition returned to light and variable in less than an hour.
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
- Turbulence encounter 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 › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,115 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 0.5 in the last 90 days; 0.5 in the last 30 days; 8,115 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,481 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A2B (piston); 6,544 hours total
- Operator: Sluice Box INC
The flight
- Departed from: Cantwell AK
- Destination: Cantwell AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.64 inHg
- Observation at 6:34 pm from PABI, 44 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.
Other NTSB records under N72842 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.