Piper PA-18A 150 N424RD accident near Denali, Alaska

Probable cause

Failure to maintain clearance from terrain due to the airplane’s encounter with windshear during takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported he was attempting to depart from a remote 600ft-long airstrip. The pilot said just after the airplane lifted off the ground, it encountered windshear and did not gain sufficient altitude to clear rising terrain at the end of the airstrip. The airplane’s tailwheel impacted terrain, and the airplane veered to the left. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain again and came to rest upright. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC24LA090 for the full record.