Piper PA18 accident near Seward, Alaska, May 22, 2016
On May 22, 2016 at about 3:15 am local time, a 1953 Piper PA18, registered N1258C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Seward, Alaska (Seward airport). It was an instructional 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot receiving instruction's failure to maintain proper airspeed and descent rate, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2016 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Seward, Alaska · Seward · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 135, built 1953 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N1258C · registry record · serial 18-2497
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that during an instructional flight, while on short final, the headwind dissipated and the airplane started to slow and sink. He instructed the pilot receiving instruction in the front seat to add power, but she did not complete the action immediately. After realizing the action was not complete the flight instructor added full power, but the airplane continued to descend at an accelerated rate and touched down hard upon landing. Subsequently, the main landing gear collapsed and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,081 hours in all; 670 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 3,960 as pilot in command; 346 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 7, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,962 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 4,052 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SWD Seward AK
- Destination: SWD Seward AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,289 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from PAWD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 N1258C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 GAA16CA264.