Piper PA-22-150 accident near Kasilof, Alaska, February 5, 2022
On February 5, 2022, a 1956 Piper PA-22-150, registered N23RB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Kasilof, Alaska (Kasilof 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
The pilot’s decision to land on an unmaintained runway surface, which resulted in a loss of control and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2022
- Place
- Kasilof, Alaska · Kasilof · 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 1956 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N23RB · registry record · serial 22-4108
- 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 on his third pass over the “unplowed” runway, he allowed the main wheels to touch down on the snow. Subsequently, the nosewheel impacted the snow, “folded back”, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. 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 (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 160.6 hours in all; 160.6 in this make and model; 41.9 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 124.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,597.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A1A (piston); 4,336 hours total
- Operator: Kenai Aviation Training Academy
The flight
- Departed from: PAEN Kenai AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.51 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from PASX, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PASX 050035Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW022 M02/M04 A2951 RMK AO2 P0001 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 August 22, 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, 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 N23RB 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.