# Incident 20251011018239I: Piper PA-18-150, Port Heiden, AK, October 11, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 11, 2025, 13:00 local time
- Place: Port Heiden, AK
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 56.9326° N, 158.6250° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Port Heiden, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=56.9326&lon=-158.6250&mi=10
- Aircraft: N89994, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N89994) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-360
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 12,000 total, 12,000 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251011018239I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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