Piper PA18 accident near Palmer, Alaska, October 14, 2016
On October 14, 2016, a 1955 Piper PA18, registered N2791P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Palmer, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane's encounter with a depression while the pilot applied excessive braking during the landing roll on a grass airstrip, 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
- October 14, 2016
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 A, built 1955 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N2791P · registry record · serial 18-4426
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that while braking during the landing roll on a gravel airstrip the right main tire encountered a ground depression. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 276.5 hours in all; 219.3 in this make and model; 5.3 in the last 90 days; 3.7 in the last 30 days; 276.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,409.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 2,621 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQY Girdwood AK
- Destination: Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.32 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAAQ, 18 miles away
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 December 5, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Provider Unknown) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2791P 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.