Piper PA 18-150 accident near Mccarthy, Alaska, May 5, 2016
On May 5, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA 18-150, registered N5884D, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Mccarthy, Alaska (Mccarthy airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall from which he could not recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska · Mccarthy · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-150, built 1956 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N5884D · registry record · serial 18-5308
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while maneuvering low-level in an attempt to locate a suitable gravel bar for an off-airport landing, a wind gust lifted the right wing. The airplane entered an aerodynamic stall from which he was unable to recover before impacting terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to thewings and fuselage. The pilot reported no pre-impact 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,750 hours in all; 4,078 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 5,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 9, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,093 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 4,093 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mccarthy AK
- Destination: Mccarthy AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAGK, 91 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
1 document, released by the NTSB on August 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | 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
- N5884D 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 0-320 SERIES 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mccarthy 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/ANC16CA025.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.