Piper PA18 accident near Beluga, Alaska, June 16, 2019
On June 16, 2019 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1981 Piper PA18, registered N91144, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Beluga, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2019 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Beluga, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18 150, built 1981 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N91144 · registry record · serial 18-8109075
- 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 landing on a remote area, the airplane touched down on the soft tundra, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot added that a better visual assessment of the landing area might have prevented this accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,513 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 8,513 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,636 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 3,080 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Anchorage AK
- Destination: Beluga AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 150° at 18 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Observation at 1:53 am from PANC, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N91144 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 GAA19CA349.