Piper PA-18 accident near Happy Valley, Alaska, August 29, 1993
On August 29, 1993, a Piper PA-18, registered N6819L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Happy Valley, 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 PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR WAS THE ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 1993
- Place
- Happy Valley, 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
- N6819L · no longer on the register · serial 18-7409103
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT, INVOLVED IN A HUNT/GUIDE OPERATION, STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT AND HE COULD NOT CORRECT SUFFICIENTLY BEFORE IT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE TAKEOFF AREA. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND BOTH WINGS AND THE FUSELAGE WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF WITH A PASSENGER, FROM AN UNIMPROVED REMOTE SITE APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET LONG.
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: 506 hours in all; 483 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 506 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 29, 1992; 172 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 41°F (5°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.
Other NTSB records under N6819L 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.