Piper PA-22-150 accident near Chandalar Shelf, Alaska, September 17, 2021
On September 17, 2021 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1957 Piper PA-22-150, registered N8061D, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Chandalar Shelf, Alaska (Chandalar Shelf 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
A separation of the rudder cable from the rudder pedal due to the connecting bolt detaching for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2021 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chandalar Shelf, Alaska · Chandalar Shelf · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150, built 1957 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8061D · registry record · serial 22-5584
- 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, as the airplane became airborne, he heard an “audible pop” and immediately felt slack in the left rudder pedal. The airplane banked to the right, unable to recover from the right turn, he decreased power and added right rudder. Subsequently, he continued in the forced bank to the right and maneuvered the airplane for an emergency off-airport landing. During the emergency landing the tail was dragged sideways, the main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. A postaccident examination revealed that the forward attachment point of the rudder cable that connects to the rudder pedal came unfastened. The pilot reported that the connecting bolt was recovered but that the nut and cotter pin were not located. Based on the available evidence it was undetermined why the nut disconnected from the bolt.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Fasteners › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 578 hours in all; 578 in this make and model; 193 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 578 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,480.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,529 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.51 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from PAKP, 50 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAKP 172256Z AUTO 04009KT 10SM -RA BKN008 OVC037 01/M01 A2951 RMK AO2 RAB33SNE33 SLP036 P0000 T00111011 FZRANO
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 March 18, 2022. 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 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 4 pages | 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.