Piper PA-18 accident near Oshetna River, Alaska, September 6, 1988
On September 6, 1988, a Piper PA-18, registered N234E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oshetna River, 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 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
- September 6, 1988
- Place
- Oshetna River, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N234E · registry record · serial 18 6787
- 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 HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF FROM AN EXTREMELY NARROW AND SHORT STRETCH OF LAND SITUATED NEAR A RIVER. HE HAD USED THIS OFF-AIRPORT, UNIMPROVED SITE FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITHOUT DIFFICULTY UNTIL THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. ON THIS OCCASION, THE AIRPLANE HIT A BUMP, BECAME PREMATURELY AIRBORNE AND BOUNCED HARD ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE ACCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD HE ELECTED TO WAIT FOR A HEAD WIND PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING THE TAKEOFF.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,118 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 3,046 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,364 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 1988; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Z15 Chugiak AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 700 ft by 10 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 ANC88LA129.