Piper PA-18-150 accident near Perryville, Alaska, May 28, 2021
On May 28, 2021 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA-18-150, registered N4323Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Perryville, Alaska. 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 conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with windshear on takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2021 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Perryville, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150, built 1968 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4323Z · registry record · serial 18-8638
- 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, just after takeoff from a remote off-airport landing site, he encountered windshear that pushed the airplane into the tops of alder trees and onto a gravel bar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing and right elevator. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 4,600 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 3, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 221 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.55 inHg
- Observation at 9:37 am from PAJC, 46 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAJC 281737Z AUTO 03006KT 2SM -RA BR SCT006 OVC012 07/06 A2955 RMK AO2 RAB31 P0000 $
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 November 12, 2021. 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 | Photo (Source Unknown) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.