Piper PA-18-150 accident near Glennallen, Alaska, September 1, 2021
On September 1, 2021 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA-18-150, registered N8987Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Glennallen, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare while landing off-airport with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2021 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Glennallen, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150, built 1974 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8987Y · registry record · serial 18-7409132
- 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 before landing on an unimproved airstrip, he tried to identify the wind direction using a ribbon located at the high point along the airstrip that was above the treetops. He also over flew the airstrip both ways at about 1,500 ft to verify what the ribbon was showing. During the landing, the airplane was not aligned with the airstrip, and the left main landing gear touched down first, which imposed a significate side load to the left main landing gear assembly. After the landing, the pilot noticed that he had landed with a quartering tailwind. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right-wing rear spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 588.5 hours in all; 588.5 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 27, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,199.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A2B (piston); 21,999 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from PAZK, 27 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAZK 012256Z AUTO 06004KT 10SM SCT080 OVC090 12/02 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP113 T01170022
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8987Y 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC21LA101.