Piper PA-18 accident near Eagle River, Alaska, August 14, 1991
On August 14, 1991 at about 3:15 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1017A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eagle River, Alaska. It was a personal 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING CLIMBOUT AND LACK OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS BOTH THE DOWNDRAFT AND GUSTING WIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1991 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Eagle River, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N1017A · registry record · serial 18587
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF AND DURING INITIAL CLIMB, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHING INTO A LAKE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 518 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 471 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,198 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1991; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Eagle River AK at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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 ANC91LA124.