Piper PA-22 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, July 28, 2014
On July 28, 2014 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1953 Piper PA-22, registered N8883C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska (Dillingham Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing due to his decision to attempt a landing with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a ground loop and impact with the runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2014 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · Dillingham Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22, built 1953 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N8883C · registry record · serial 22-1465
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after the airplane entered the right downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 19, he received the airport wind information, which indicated wind from 290 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 12 knots; this resulted in a quartering tailwind for the landing. During the landing, the tailwheel-equipped airplane started to veer left and then ground looped, which resulted in the separation of the right main landing gear and impact with the runway surface. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- 552400 during descent - emergency
- 552060 during descent - emergency
- 552270 during descent - emergency
- 552230 during descent - emergency
- 552338 during descent - emergency
- 552470 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 605 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 650 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: type not recorded, September 26, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 1,640 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: Ekuk AK
- Destination: DLG Dillingham AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 72°C, dew point 55°C
- Altimeter: 29.959999 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N8883C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC14LA056.