Piper PA-18 accident near Beluga, Alaska, August 29, 2026
On August 29, 2026 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1951 Piper PA-18, registered N15XX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Beluga, Alaska (Gravel 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2026 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Beluga, Alaska · Gravel 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, built 1951 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N15XX · registry record · serial 18-811
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,453 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2026; 20.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,200 ft by 12 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from PANC, 36 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PANC 291853Z 22004KT 10SM FEW010 FEW050 FEW070 FEW130 13/09 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP087 T01330094
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N15XX 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 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 ANC26LA093.