Piper PA18 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, September 23, 2019
On September 23, 2019 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA18, registered N5408Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Skwentna, 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 improper decision to depart from an off-airport surface covered with standing water, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2019 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, 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 1964 · all PA18s on the register
- Registration
- N5408Y · registry record · serial 18-8171
- 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 he conducted an off-airport takeoff from a surface covered with standing water. The water created excess drag on the main landing gear, the tail lifted, and the airplane then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added as a safety recommendation to add more weight in the tail, avoid taking off in water, and to abort the takeoff when first signs of trouble arise.
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 takeoff defining event
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
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 › Wet surface › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 725 hours in all; 214 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 725 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 26, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northland Hangars Llc
The flight
- Departed from: Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.40 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PANC, 58 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 November 21, 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 |
| 2 | Damage Photo | 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 N5408Y 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.