Piper PA-18-150 accident near Beluga, Alaska, April 12, 2022
On April 12, 2022 at about 2:45 am local time, a 1981 Piper PA-18-150, registered N135ES, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Beluga, 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 excessive touchdown speed, which resulted in a long landing and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2022 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Beluga, 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 1981 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N135ES · registry record · serial 18-8109074
- 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 while landing off-airport on snow-covered mountainous terrain, the ski-equipped airplane touched down fast, and he was unable to make a left turn prior to the airplane impacting a “gully”. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the opposite side of the gully, both landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the terrain and sustained substantial damage. 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
- Landing area overshoot during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 202 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 8, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,812.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 10, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 825 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCV Birchwood AK at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PANC, 58 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PANC 120253Z 29004KT 10SM FEW250 06/M05 A3043 RMK AO2 SLP307 T00561050 58013
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.
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 ANC22LA029.