- Date
- June 28, 2025, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chenega, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55PTPiper PA-18-135
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250628008029A
- Case key
- 200478
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 during landing in gusting and variable wind conditions.
Findings · 5
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, during landing, the airplane encountered a wind shift. He subsequently lost directional control, and the airplane’s left wing struck a tree. The airplane then veered off the intended landing area and impacted several additional trees, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the 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
- N55PT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2675
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 2,093.88
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 26, 2024 · 479 hours before
- Departed
- SWD · Seward, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 759 total · 416 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PFCB
- METAR
- PFCB 281930Z AUTO 36006KT 10SM -DZ SCT014 BKN034 OVC040 14/13 A2990 RMK AO2 T01400132
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.5 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.