Piper PA-18-150 accident near Bethel, Alaska, September 20, 2023
On September 20, 2023 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1957 Piper PA-18-150, registered N8192D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bethel, Alaska. 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 excessive use of brakes during landing roll, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2023 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · 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 1957 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8192D · registry record · serial 18-6130
- 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 a tailwheel-equipped airplane at a remote off airport site, he inadvertently applied excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over and substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 660 hours in all; 560 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 616 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 10, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,948 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 7, 2022; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 765 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABE Bethel AK at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 17 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.61 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from ABE, 64 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PABE 201953Z 34017G25KT 10SM BKN010 OVC014 06/04 A2961 RMK AO2 CIG 007V013 SLP028 T00560044
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 April 4, 2024. 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 | Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8192D 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.