Piper PA-18 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, August 16, 1996
On August 16, 1996 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N9272D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Strip airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude to the runway during the approach, and failure to attain the proper touchdown point. A factor relating to the accident was: the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1996 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N9272D · registry record · serial 18-6573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot was landing a tundra tire, tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel airstrip. The airplane developed a high rate of descent. The pilot added power to begin a go-around but the airplane touched down about 180 feet short of the runway threshold in a rutted area. The airplane then collided with a ditch in tall grass and nosed over.
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: 1,914 hours in all; 745 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1996; 49 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: ORT Northway AK at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Z41
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,200 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:27 pm from LHD, 1 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.
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 ANC96LA125.