Piper PA-18-150 accident near Ft Richardson, Alaska, July 8, 1994
On July 8, 1994 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N8466Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft Richardson, 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 PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1994 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Ft Richardson, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8466Y · no longer on the register · serial 18-7309023
- 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 HE SAW PEOPLE IN A BOAT IN KNIK ARM AND HE THOUGHT THEY NEEDED HELP. HE THOUGHT HE SAW A MARKED RUNWAY, SO HE LANDED NEXT TO THE FLAGS. THE LANDING AREA WAS ADJACENT TO A SURVEY LINE IN A RESTRICTED AREA IN THE FT. RICHARDSON ARTILLERY IMPACT AREA. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TIDAL RAVINE. THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND BOTH WINGS BENT DOWNWARD WITH THE WINGTIPS TOUCHING THE GROUND. THE PILOT FAILED A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST THAT WAS ADMINISTERED BY THE FT. RICHARDSON MILITARY POLICE. THEY ADMINISTERED AN HCN TEST, AND DURING THE TEST THE PILOT'S EYES 'DISPLAYED A LACK OF SMOOTH PURSUIT', AND MAXIMUM DEVIATION OCCURRED AT 35%. THE PILOT WOULD NOT SUBMIT TO BLOOD OR URINE TESTS.
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: 450 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 1994; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from EDF, 5 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N8466Y 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.