Piper PA18 - 150 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, March 8, 2015
On March 8, 2015 at about 7:59 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA18 - 150, registered N5348T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Talkeetna, Alaska (Montana Creek airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff from an icy surface in gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2015 · about 7:59 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Montana Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 - 150, built 1979 · all PA18 - 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5348T · registry record · serial 18-8009009
- 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 in his tundra tire equipped airplane on a private, ice-covered, gravel runway. He stated that during the takeoff roll ruts in the ground caused him to lose control of the airplane. The airplane struck a snow berm and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated 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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,380 hours in all; 2,012 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 3,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 18, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-a2b (piston); 1,290 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 21AK Talkeetna AK
- Destination: pafa Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from patk, 9 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC15CA014.