Piper PA18 accident near Sterling, Alaska, February 9, 2017
On February 9, 2017, a 1951 Piper PA18, registered N1268A, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Sterling, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control while maneuvering 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
- February 9, 2017
- Place
- Sterling, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 125, built 1951 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N1268A · registry record · serial 18-1063
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, while making a right turn during a personal flight, the flight controls "stuck." She was unable to make aileron or elevator control inputs, and was also unable to correct the airplane's bank using rudder inputs. The airplane subsequently descended in a right turn until it impacted the ground. The airplane was removed from the accident site before it could be examined. During recovery, both wings and their control cables were cut. The airplane was later examined on the pilot's property, strapped to a trailer. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any control anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; however, since the flight control system was compromised during the recovery, the pre-accident condition of the flight controls could not be determined and the investigation was unable to establish a reason for the pilot's reported loss of control.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
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 › Lateral/bank control › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not specified
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 292 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 262 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 13, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,499 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 2,171 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sterling AK
- Destination: Sterling AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from PASX, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 ANC17LA016.