Piper PA-18-150 accident near Palmer, Alaska, July 11, 2025
On July 11, 2025 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1975 Piper PA-18-150, registered N8979D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Palmer, Alaska (Landing Strip 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive braking during the landing roll, resulting in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2025 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · Landing Strip · 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 1975 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8979D · registry record · serial 18-7509053
- 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, during the landing roll in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, the main landing gear wheels encountered an area of rough and uneven terrain, causing a bounce, and the airplane briefly became airborne again. After touching down again, the pilot applied heavy braking, and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder and right wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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 › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 546.1 hours in all; 333.6 in this make and model; 18.6 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 489.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,459.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2025; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 A2B (piston); 3,672 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Anchorage AK at 10:15 pm
- Destination: LHD Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from AAQ, 6845 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAAQ 110053Z 11009G16KT 10SM OVC090 13/05 A2973 RMK AO2 SLP069 T01330050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8979D 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 ANC25LA075.