Piper PA18 accident near Sterling, Alaska, May 28, 2020
On May 28, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA18, registered N7164B, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sterling, Alaska (Pvt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sterling, Alaska · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 1956 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N7164B · registry record · serial 18-5190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was departing a private grass airstrip that was bordered by large trees in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the departure roll, and just as the airplane began to liftoff, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left and into trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had avoided taking off in a narrow area surrounded with obstructions in crosswind conditions.
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 takeoff 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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,485.7 hours in all; 5,062 in this make and model; 0.6 in the last 90 days; 0.6 in the last 30 days; 5,485.7 as pilot in command; 36.5 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 10, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,867 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A2B (piston); 1,987 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Sterling AK
- Destination: PVT Sterling AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 360, 2,000 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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 |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N7164B 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.