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20251011018239I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Port Heiden, AK · October 11, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 11, 2025 · 13:00 local
Place
Port Heiden, AK
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N89994
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-360
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total12,000 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days
N89994Registered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8510Airframe 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.

On October 11, 2025 at approximately 1300L time, privacy data omitted, a PA-18 piloted by a commercial pilot with more than 30 years experience in operating in this type of airplane in this type of remote environment loaded a passenger, the passengers gear, and the skull and hide of a medium size brown bear from a sloped remote hunting lodge "runway". According to the pilot, he did a complete runup prior to departure and during the takeoff there is a significant down slope on the runway. After power was set to full he didn't think the airplane was developing full power so he did a second mag and carb heat check during the takeoff roll and continued the takeoff even though he didn't believe the airplane engine wasn't developing full power. The pilot did not abort the takeoff or pull the power back and the pilot reported that the airplane hit the alder trees (bushes) at full power causing the plane to pitch over on its back. The propeller hit the ground during the pitch over and the rudder hit and wing ribs were damaged during the pitchover due to ground contact and brush contact.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 11, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1300L TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PA-18 PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WITH MORE THAN 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN OPERATING IN THIS TYPE OF AIRPLANE IN THIS TYPE OF REMOTE ENVIRONMENT LOADED A PASSENGER, THE PASSENGERS GEAR, AND THE SKULL AND HIDE OF A MEDIUM SIZE BROWN BEAR FROM A SLOPED REMOTE HUNTING LODGE "RUNWAY". ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE DID A COMPLETE RUNUP PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND DURING THE TAKEOFF THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DOWN SLOPE ON THE RUNWAY. AFTER POWER WAS SET TO FULL HE DIDN'T THINK THE AIRPLANE WAS DEVELOPING FULL POWER SO HE DID A SECOND MAG AND CARB HEAT CHECK DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THE AIRPLANE ENGINE WASN'T DEVELOPING FULL POWER. THE PILOT DID NOT ABORT THE TAKEOFF OR PULL THE POWER BACK AND THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HIT THE ALDER TREES (BUSHES) AT FULL POWER CAUSING THE PLANE TO PITCH OVER ON ITS BACK. THE PROPELLER HIT THE GROUND DURING THE PITCH OVER AND THE RUDDER HIT AND WING RIBS WERE DAMAGED DURING THE PITCHOVER DUE TO GROUND CONTACT AND BRUSH CONTACT.