Piper PA 18 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, July 27, 2020
On July 27, 2020 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1951 Piper PA 18, registered N1277A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 depart from an off-airport surface that had standing water, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2020 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18 125, built 1951 · all PA 18s on the register
- Registration
- N1277A · registry record · serial 18-1072
- 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, during the takeoff roll on an off-airport grass strip, as the airplane reached flying speed, it encountered a puddle of water which was hidden in grass and the pilot lost control of the airplane, which resulted in an impact with tundra tussocks and a main landing gear collapse. The fuselage and left lift strut sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He also reported that the accident could have been prevented had he performed a better walk down of the grass strip.
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 takeoff defining event
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 262 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 262 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,499 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 67°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 2965.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAFA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N1277A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC20CA080.