- Date
- September 15, 2024, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N2466HPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Nose over/nose down
- 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 FSDO - ANC, FAA Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240915016579A
- Case key
- 195180
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 directional control of the airplane during taxi in gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 3
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, while maneuvering during back-taxi after landing on a backcountry airstrip, a gust of wind caught the airplane’s tail. The airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder and left wing lift struts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2466H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7909187
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Raven Girl LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 2024 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- PAQY · Girdwood, AK
- Destination
- PAQY · Girdwood, AK
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2024
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 939.3 total · 335 in this make and model · 542 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 160 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 13 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.43 inHg
- Observed at
- PANC, 30 nm away
- METAR
- PANC 152053Z 18013G25KT 10SM FEW060 SCT075 13/06 A2943 RMK AO2 PK WND 19026/2001 SLP968 T01330061 53001
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 12, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.2 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 N2466H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.