Piper PA18 accident near Homer, Alaska, April 10, 2020
On April 10, 2020 at about 8:08 am local time, a 1959 Piper PA18, registered N184WF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Homer, Alaska (Homer airport). It was a personal flight 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 pilot's overapplication of the brakes during landing and the subsequent loss of directional control and nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2020 · about 8:08 am local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · Homer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 1959 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N184WF · registry record · serial 18-6961
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the wheel- and ski-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll on the dry, paved runway, the airplane began to veer right, and he attempted to correct with left rudder and brake. Subsequently, the tail lifted, the tips of the skis dug into the grooved pavement, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and right-wing lift strut. The pilot added that he should have been "more aggressive" with the rudder and applied brakes sooner. He added that he had a long runway to use but got "fooled into complacency." The pilot reported that he felt his use of a flight helmet during the accident sequence was essential to the prevention of injury.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Personality/attitude › Complacency › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,201 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,101 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,427.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 5,880 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK
- Destination: HOM Homer AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 6,701 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.47 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from PAHO
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 ANC20CA042.