Piper PA-18A accident near Copper Center, Alaska, August 18, 1989
On August 18, 1989 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18A, registered N3877P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Copper Center, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING BY THE PILOT. HE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHEN HE IMPROPERLY APPLIED HARD BRAKING DURING A WHEEL LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1989 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Copper Center, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A · all PA-18As on the register
- Registration
- N3877P · registry record · serial 184703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ROLL OUT THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A WHEEL LANDING WAS MADE ON ROUGH TERRAIN. HARD BRAKING WAS USED WHICH RESULTED IN THE PROPELLER GOUGING INTO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSED OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE LANDING WAS MADE ON ROUGH OFF-AIRPORT TERRAIN.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,847 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N3877P 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.