Piper PA-18 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 3, 2015
On July 3, 2015 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N9189D, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Wasilla, Alaska (Tidewater Airport). It was a flight test 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 partial loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2015 · about 9:08 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Tidewater Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N9189D · registry record · serial 186528
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he was conducting test flights around the airport after having a new engine installed on the airplane. During the first flight, he flew around the airport traffic pattern and then landed uneventfully. During the second flight, he noticed that the engine was not running smoothly. He landed the airplane and, after sumping the fuel tanks and performing an engine run-up with the mechanic who had installed the engine, he departed again. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane began sputtering and lost all power. The pilot switched fuel tanks in an attempt to restart the engine without success and then executed a forced landing, during which the airplane was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact 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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 77AK Wasilla AK
- Destination: 77AK Wasilla AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:16 pm from PAWS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 15, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9189D on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub 3,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O320 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Tidewater Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC15LA044.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.