Piper PA-18-150 accident near Mccarthy, Alaska, July 28, 2022
On July 28, 2022 at about 8:05 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA-18-150, registered N82735, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mccarthy, Alaska. It was a public-use flight (state) under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 takeoff from an unimproved airstrip with a high density altitude which degraded its climb performance and led to a collision with vegetation off the end of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2022 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150, built 1977 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N82735 · registry record · serial 18-7709183
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while departing a remote rough and soft unimproved airstrip, the airplane’s tail rose off the ground just before the abort point and the airplane lifted off and entered into ground effect. Due to the high density altitude, the airplane was unable to gain sufficient airspeed to clear vegetation at the end of the airstrip. The pilot aborted the take off and the airplane came to rest in vegetation off the end of the airstrip. The right elevator was substantially damaged. 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 969 hours in all; 729 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 833 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 28, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 19, 2021
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,158.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2022; 14.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 3,184 hours total
- Operator: State Of Alaska
The flight
- Destination: MYK Mccarthy AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Sky: broken clouds
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 10, 2022. 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 | Statement of Check Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Phone Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | 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 N82735 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.