What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 11, 2026, at approximately 14:05 AKDT, a Piper PA-22 aircraft operated by a commercial certificated pilot was involved in an accident while landing at Kako (9AK2) airstrip, Russian Mission, AK. The aircraft received substantial damage to the lower aft fuselage, rudder and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The accident pilot obtained weather information from FAA fss located 8 nautical miles from the accident site that indicated MVFR conditions with winds light and variable and a forecast for ceiling conditions to improve. The accident flight departed mcgrath airport (mcg) with Kako, AK, (9AK2) as the planned destination. The pilot overflew the airstrip at 9AK2 and observed the windsock indicating calm wind conditions. Turning left downwind, the pilot observed tree foliage movement at the approach end of the field that indicated a left crosswind; however, on final approach, no significant left crosswind correction was needed to maintain alignment with the runway. While on short final approach with full flaps and about 20 feet above the surface, the aircraft encountered a 10 knot wind shear that caused the aircraft to sink. The pilot increased pitch to arrest the sink rate. The aircraft landed hard on the surface in a slightly tail low position. The aircraft landed straight but began to drift to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and left brake to correct the drift, but the aircraft continued to the right. The aircraft rotated right and stopped perpendicular to the runway with the tail resting off the edge of the runway. Upon exiting the aircraft, the pilot observed the wind had shifted to a tailwind of approximately 10 knots.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 11, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:05 AKDT, A PIPER PA-22 AIRCRAFT OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE LANDING AT KAKO (9AK2) AIRSTRIP, RUSSIAN MISSION, AK. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER AFT FUSELAGE, RUDDER AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE ACCIDENT PILOT OBTAINED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM FAA FSS LOCATED 8 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE THAT INDICATED MVFR CONDITIONS WITH WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND A FORECAST FOR CEILING CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DEPARTED MCGRATH AIRPORT (MCG) WITH KAKO, AK, (9AK2) AS THE PLANNED DESTINATION. THE PILOT OVERFLEW THE AIRSTRIP AT 9AK2 AND OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK INDICATING CALM WIND CONDITIONS. TURNING LEFT DOWNWIND, THE PILOT OBSERVED TREE FOLIAGE MOVEMENT AT THE APPROACH END OF THE FIELD THAT INDICATED A LEFT CROSSWIND; HOWEVER, ON FINAL APPROACH, NO SIGNIFICANT LEFT CROSSWIND CORRECTION WAS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH WITH FULL FLAPS AND ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A 10 KNOT WIND SHEAR THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK. THE PILOT INCREASED PITCH TO ARREST THE SINK RATE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON THE SURFACE IN A SLIGHTLY TAIL LOW POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED STRAIGHT BUT BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND LEFT BRAKE TO CORRECT THE DRIFT, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED RIGHT AND STOPPED PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY WITH THE TAIL RESTING OFF THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT OBSERVED THE WIND HAD SHIFTED TO A TAILWIND OF APPROXIMATELY 10 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.