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20250711011179A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Dillingham, AK · July 11, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 11, 2025 · 17:30 local
Place
Dillingham, AK
Airport
Shannons Pond
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N82109
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC25LA072
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
170 total5 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N82109Registered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7809130Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

As the pilot was preparing for departure, she used mid range power to crest burm of soft gravel onto the runway. Pilot used both rudder and brake to turn onto the runway as well as to turn around after back taxiing. The pilot was most of the way into the throttle when it felt like the tail started lift up. The plane started to pull hard to the right. Pilot applying left rudder was not having the needed efect to straighen out the aircraft. Pilot confirmed passenger did not have feet on brakes as it felt like maybe the right brake was dragging. Pilot added the rest of the power to try to get rudder authority. Rather than giving rudder authority, adding power made the symptoms much worse. To avoid hitting parked vehicles on the right side of the runway the pilot chopped the power and made the decision to use the left brake as well as left rudder to straighten out the aircraft. Pilot applied both brakes to slow down aircraft but it went into the ditch and became partially inverted on propeller and right wing.

As the FAA filed it

AS THE PILOT WAS PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE, SHE USED MID RANGE POWER TO CREST BURM OF SOFT GRAVEL ONTO THE RUNWAY. PILOT USED BOTH RUDDER AND BRAKE TO TURN ONTO THE RUNWAY AS WELL AS TO TURN AROUND AFTER BACK TAXIING. THE PILOT WAS MOST OF THE WAY INTO THE THROTTLE WHEN IT FELT LIKE THE TAIL STARTED LIFT UP. THE PLANE STARTED TO PULL HARD TO THE RIGHT. PILOT APPLYING LEFT RUDDER WAS NOT HAVING THE NEEDED EFECT TO STRAIGHEN OUT THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT CONFIRMED PASSENGER DID NOT HAVE FEET ON BRAKES AS IT FELT LIKE MAYBE THE RIGHT BRAKE WAS DRAGGING. PILOT ADDED THE REST OF THE POWER TO TRY TO GET RUDDER AUTHORITY. RATHER THAN GIVING RUDDER AUTHORITY, ADDING POWER MADE THE SYMPTOMS MUCH WORSE. TO AVOID HITTING PARKED VEHICLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY THE PILOT CHOPPED THE POWER AND MADE THE DECISION TO USE THE LEFT BRAKE AS WELL AS LEFT RUDDER TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT APPLIED BOTH BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AIRCRAFT BUT IT WENT INTO THE DITCH AND BECAME PARTIALLY INVERTED ON PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC25LA072Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportDillingham, AKThe pilot’s failure to maintain direction control during takeoff roll which resulted in a ground loop, and subsequent runway excursion.Jul 12, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N82109 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20130727015459ITaxi · Fairbanks, AKPilot was repositioning his aircraft into the wind because of high winds in the area. While taxing on the mountain ridge the aircraft wheel hit a hole in the ground and combined with the tail wind the aircraft nosed over and the propeller struck the ground.Jul 27, 2013 · Minor damage