Piper PA 18-150 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, August 9, 2015
On August 9, 2015 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1958 Piper PA 18-150, registered N9265D, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Impact with terrain during low-level cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2015 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-150, built 1958 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9265D · registry record · serial 18-6563
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning home after delivering passengers to a remote hunting camp. He recalled flying about 500 ft above ground level and looking at the north side of a mountain. The next thing that he remembered was waking up with a broken leg and the airplane on the ground. He extracted himself from the wreckage and requested assistance via satellite phone. He had no recollection of the events leading up to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not recovered from the accident site.
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 in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 650 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 24, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,467 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 2,244 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 Anchorage AK
- Destination: Z41 Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from PATK, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 ANC15LA063.