Piper PA 18-150 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, August 16, 2014
On August 16, 2014 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA 18-150, registered N83422, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Skwentna, 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 failure to maintain the proper approach path for landing, and his delayed remedial action, which resulted in an undershoot and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2014 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-150, built 1976 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N83422 · registry record · serial 18-7609127
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a flight to go fishing on a river, two of the three planned landing strips the pilot was going to land on were covered with water. The third had fog present. As a result the pilot looked for an alternate place to land and discovered a gravel bar in the river which looked to be about 800 feet long. He flew several passes over the gravel bar to assess its condition and then decided to land. During the landing flare, he noticed that the airplane was below the edge of the gravel. He added power to try and clear the edge, but the airplane touched down on a 1 to 2 foot long muddy, downwash area that existed just prior to the gravel bar, and the left main landing gear then struck the gravel bar's edge. Examination of the airplane revealed that it had incurred substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies 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
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 868 hours in all; 515 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 731 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 247 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 2013; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 247 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AMR Anchorage AK
- Destination: Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 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.
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.