Piper PA 18-125 accident near Nikolai, Alaska, November 29, 2017
On November 29, 2017 at about 9:02 pm local time, a 1951 Piper PA 18-125, registered N1386A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Nikolai, Alaska (Tatitna airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 pilot’s improper decision to contact an unsuitable landing surface, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2017 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Nikolai, Alaska · Tatitna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-125 125, built 1951 · all PA 18-125s on the register
- Registration
- N1386A · registry record · serial 18-1219
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had completed one high- and two low-reconnaissance flights over the snow-covered runway in his tundra-tire-equipped, tailwheel airplane. Before landing, he intended to fly a low pass and drag the main landing gear along the surface of the runway to determine the depth of the snow. He said that, as the main landing gear wheels touched down atop the frozen layer of crusty snow, the wheels broke through, and the airplane's tail began to rise. In an effort to prevent a nose-over, he applied full power, but the airplane subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and both left and right lift struts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 7,600 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 7,900 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 14, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,321 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,499 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: State Of Alaska
The flight
- Departed from: PAMC Mcgrath AK at 1:38 pm
- Destination: PALH Anchorage AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point -2°F (-19°C)
- Altimeter: 28.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PAMC, 54 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.
Other NTSB records under N1386A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.