- Date
- July 11, 2025, 17:30 local (Jul 12, 2025, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dillingham, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N82109Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20250711011179A
- Case key
- 200515
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 direction control during takeoff roll which resulted in a ground loop, and subsequent runway excursion.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that as she applied throttle for takeoff the nose veered to the right, she corrected with left rudder pedal. However, the airplane continued to veer to the right, the pilot added more throttle which worsened the right turn. Subsequently the pilot closed the throttle and applied left brake, the airplane turned to the left, ground looped and exited the runway. The airplane came to rest in a ditch adjacent to the runway, the two occupants were able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and tail section. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82109
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809130
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,278.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- AA15 · Shannons Pond, runway NE/SW, 1,400 × 100 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- None
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 170.68 total · 5.2 in this make and model · 136.6 as pilot in command · 5.2 in the last 90 days · 1.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4.6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.67 inHg
- Observed at
- PADL, 2 nm away
- METAR
- PADL 111656Z 00000KT 10SM SCT075 13/11 A2969 RMK AO2 SLP056 T01280106
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.