Piper PA-18-150 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 20, 1997
On July 20, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N6822L, was destroyed in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska (Private Strip 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 aircraft control during takeoff. Factors were the intentional relinquishing of controls by the pilot, and interference with the rudder controls by the nonpilot passenger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Private Strip
- 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
- N6822L · registry record · serial 18-7409105
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted trees ten feet above the ground when it departed the 1,000-foot-long by 75-foot-wide runway. The pilot stated that he allowed the nonpilot-passenger to conduct a high speed taxi from the back seat. The passenger's feet became stuck in the rudder pedals, and the airplane became airborne.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,480 hours in all; 1,243 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,243 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 1988; 232 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Private Strip AK
- Destination: AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°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.