# Accident 20260617008649A: Piper PA-18 105, Petersville, AK, June 17, 2026 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 17, 2026, 21:20 local time - Place: Petersville, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 62.8667° N, 150.8764° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.8667&lon=-150.8764&mi=10 - Aircraft: N249T, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N249T) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-18 105 (registry code 7101809, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-105) (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-18 105 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 2,871 total, 136 in this make and model, 209 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC26LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA055) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260617008649A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. PIC NARRATIVE: "WHILE CLIMBING ON THE TOKOSITNA GLACIER TOWARD RISING TERRAIN, I OBSERVED A DECREASING INDICATED AIRSPEED. A LIGHT DOWNSLOPE WIND FROM THE NORTHWEST WAS PRESENT, ESTIMATED 5–10 KNOTS. FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS WERE ALSO PRESENT WITH THE SUN BELOW THE MOUNTAINS AHEAD. TO AVOID RISING TERRAIN I INITIATED A GRADUAL LEFT TURN. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO SINK TOWARD THE SURFACE. APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES INTO THE LEFT TURN THE AIRPLANE FELT AS IF IT WOULD SETTLE ONTO THE SNOW SURFACE. I EXTENDED THE FIRST NOTCH OF FLAPS, THEN SECOND NOTCH APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS LATER. AT ABOUT 150 FEET FROM THE IMPACT POINT, THE LEFT MAIN TIRE CONTACTED AND DRAGGED ALONG THE SNOW. AT APPROXIMATELY 35 FEET FROM IMPACT THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE CONTACTED AND INITIALLY DRAGGED, THEN DUG INTO THE SNOW. THE RIGHT WING THEN STRUCK THE SNOW, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO PITCH FORWARD ONTO THE NOSE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE NOSE AND LEFT WING." PILOT STATED, "COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY INCREASING ALTITUDE BEFORE FLYING INTO RISING TERRAIN". FAA IIC FINDINGS: PIC TURNED INTO A "BOWL" VALLEY ON THE SIDE OF THE TOKOSITNA GLACIER, NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT HIS ALTITUDE, THE FLAT LIGHT IN LOW-LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE DOWN GLACIER WIND FLOW. PIC DID REALIZE HIS ERROR AND INITIATED A TURN AROUND MAINTAINING FLYING SPEED BUT DESCENDED THROUGH THE TURN AND IMPACTED TERRAIN IN THE BOWL. PIC WAS PROVIDED NON-REGULATORY COUNSELING ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: OBTAINING AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ABOUT AN AREA BEFORE FLYING INTO THE AREA AND "COMMITTING" TO THAT FLIGHT INTO RISING TERRAIN. UNDERSTAND AND BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WIND DIRECTION, FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND DEGRADED PERFORMANCE AT HIGHER ALTITUDES. PIC WAS VERY RECEPTIVE AND ASKED NUMEROUS QUESTIONS AND EXHIBITED A COMPLIANT DEMEANOR THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND WAS VERY COOPERATIVE WITH ALL REQUESTS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC26LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA055), Jun 18, 2026: Piper PA-18 105 (N249T), Petersville, AK, substantial damage, investigation ongoing ## Other reports on N249T (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20260102002879I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260102002879I), Jan 2, 2026: Piper PA-18 105 (N249T), Willow, AK, Minor damage. Pilot landed at an unpaved airstrip, in the snow, to the northeast. There was a layer of loose snow over the top of groomed snow, at a slight angle relative to… - [Accident 20180625008579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180625008579A), Jun 25, 2018: Piper PA-18 105 (N249T), Cantwell, AK, Substantial damage. Pilot landed the aircraft on an undeveloped runway to wait out a passing storm cell. While on landing rollout, aircraft hit a bump and became airborne. Pilot… - [Accident 19790801019509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790801019509A), Aug 1, 1979: Piper PA18 (N249T), Kenai, AK, Substantial damage. Landed on beach. Wheel hit soft sand. Acft flipped over. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.