Piper PA-18-150 accident near Gold King, Alaska, August 31, 1991
On August 31, 1991 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N2664A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gold King, Alaska (Jap Hills Airstrip airport). 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 A PROPER DESCENT RATE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RISING TERRAIN AND THE TAILWIND CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1991 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gold King, Alaska · Jap Hills Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N2664A · registry record · serial 18-2179
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AN AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND REPORTED THE WIND TO BE FROM THE NORTH AT 8 KNOTS. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SINK AT A HIGHER THAN DESIRED SINK RATE. THE PILOT APPLIED POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED THREE TIMES. ON THE THIRD BOUNCE HE ADDED FULL POWER AND ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND INTO RISING TERRAIN. THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK SOME BRUSH AND THEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE GO AROUND. THEY WERE LANDING TO THE NORTH INTO RISING TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE'S ANGLE OF CLIMB WAS EQUAL TO THE ANGLE OF THE RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT STATED THAT ONCE ON THE GROUND HE NOTICED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH.
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
- Flight time: 507 hours in all; 375 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 507 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,375 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1990; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 95Z North Pole AK at 12:45 pm
- Destination: Jap Hills AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 99 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.
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.