Piper PA-11 accident near Lake Louise, Alaska, September 10, 2025
On September 10, 2025 at about 10:35 pm local time, a 1949 Piper PA-11, registered N5025H, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lake Louise, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s encounter with gusting crosswind conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2025 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Louise, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11, built 1949 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N5025H · registry record · serial 11-905
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing from a remote airstrip in his tailwheel equipped airplane. He reported that shortly after takeoff, the airplane encountered a strong crosswind, which resulted in the airplane veering to the right. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane into the wind, which resulted in a nose high attitude. Concerned with stall conditions, he attempted to level the wings, and lower the nose of the airplane; however, there was not enough altitude to complete the recovery, and the airplane impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both 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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff 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 › Sudden wind shift › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 219 in this make and model; 236 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,174.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 205 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.51 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PAGK, 59 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAGK 100953Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM OVC065 09/08 A2951 RMK AO2 RAB25E40 SLP993 P0000 T00890078 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 ANC25LA103.