Probable cause
The student pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for an off-airport landing, resulting in the airplane nosing over.
NTSB analysis
According to the student pilot, during a local flight he elected to make an off-airport landing. During the landing, the main landing gear encountered a ditch that had been obscured by tall grass and, when the landing gear struck the ditch, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC10CA103 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 29, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-18-150
- N-number
- N6819L
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
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.