Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area with an unfavorable wind.
NTSB analysis
The pilot was departing from a rough and uneven 800-foot-long remote airstrip in a tundra tire-equipped airplane. The pilot said that after assessing his passenger's weight, coupled with the southerly light and variable winds, he elected to depart to the south. He said that just after takeoff the wind suddenly switched to a tailwind and the airplane stopped climbing. The airplane then collided with a stand of trees and brush at the departure end of the site, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC09LA103 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 18, 2009
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Nabesna, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-18
- N-number
- N1169A
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Other work use
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.