- Date
- September 15, 2024, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK · remote grass strip
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4242ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240915014709A
- Case key
- 195179
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain a rate of climb sufficient to clear obstacles during takeoff, resulting in a collision with obstacles and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, his tailwheel-equipped airplane was not producing adequate lift to maintain a rate of climb needed to clear obstacles at the end of the airstrip. The landing gear contacted the tops of some small trees, the left wing stalled, and the airplane came to rest in a grove of small trees and brush, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4242Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8597
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 2,365
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 2023 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- MTF · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 29,500 total · 146 in this make and model · 28,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.31 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 4 nm away
- METAR
- PAFA 151953Z 19005KT 9SM -RA FEW027 BKN038 OVC055 09/08 A2931 RMK AO2 SLP931 P0003 T00940078 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4242Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.