Piper PA-18-150 accident near Chignik Lake, Alaska, September 23, 2022
On September 23, 2022 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA-18-150, registered N4144E, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Chignik Lake, Alaska (Fan Creek airport). It was an other work-use 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 failure to maintain airplane control during taxi in gusty conditions, which resulted in a nose-over and substantial damage to the rudder and wings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2022 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chignik Lake, Alaska · Fan Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150, built 1978 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4144E · registry record · serial 18-7809084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after he landed, he taxied the airplane to the top of the hill to pick up a load he was going to transport and then past it to turn the airplane around. He turned the airplane slowly to maintain control, and then taxied down the hill back to the load and noted the wind was now a tailwind. The pilot applied the brakes to stop the airplane, but the wind lifted the tail, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder and wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Nose over/nose down during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,512 hours in all; 2,111 in this make and model; 322 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 2,455 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 19, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,260.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 26, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2A (piston); 5,088 hours total
- Operator: Tradewind LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KCL Chignik Lagoon AK at 5:00 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.52 inHg
- Observation at 10:57 am from PAJC, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAJC 231857Z AUTO 03005KT 10SM CLR 09/03 A2952 RMK AO2 SLP997 T00940033 PNO $
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 October 21, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 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.