Piper PA 18 accident near Cantwell, Alaska, June 25, 2018
On June 25, 2018 at about 4:53 pm local time, a 1953 Piper PA 18, registered N249T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Cantwell, 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 failure to see and avoid a post during a go-around following a landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2018 · about 4:53 pm local time
- Place
- Cantwell, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18 105, built 1953 · all PA 18s on the register
- Registration
- N249T · registry record · serial 18-2363
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Due to weather ahead, the pilot decided to land on a gravel strip to wait out the weather. During the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane became airborne after passing over a low spot on the gravel; the pilot increased the engine power to full to perform a go-around, but the airplane's right wing struck a 10 ft-tall post, which he had not seen, and the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. 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
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,617 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,968 as pilot in command; 899 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 14, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,418 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 19, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AK6 Palmer AK
- Destination: PACL Clear AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from PAIN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on February 27, 2019. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N249T 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.