Piper PA-18-150 accident near Galena, Alaska, September 7, 2022
On September 7, 2022 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1958 Piper PA-18-150, registered N590DC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Galena, 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 which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2022 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Galena, 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, built 1958 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N590DC · registry record · serial 18-6245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing rollout on a remote sandbar, the airplane’s main tires encountered an area of soft sand and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of geographic area › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gala AK at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Sky: broken clouds; scat
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 2983.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from PAGA
Weather report (METAR): METAR PAGA 070056Z AUTO 10SM SCT046 BKN055 13/08 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP103 T01280083 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 24, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.