- Date
- August 17, 2025, 16:58 local (Aug 18, 2025, 00:58 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4387ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 9, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO, AKST
- FAA report
- 20250817013399A
- Case key
- 200832
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 loss of control after a rejected takeoff, which resulted in a noseover.
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 was attempting to depart from an off-airport remote airstrip in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered an area of rough and uneven terrain as the tail lifted off the ground, and as the airplane became airborne, he applied flaps and felt the airplane slow. The airplane descended and bounced on the airstrip. He felt he did not have sufficient airspeed for takeoff and aborted the takeoff. He reduced power and applied heavy braking, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4387Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8709
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 6,563
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - state · Public use
- Operator
- State Of Alaska
- Registered owner
- State Of Alaska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 2025
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,084 total · 878 in this make and model · 974 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- ATK, 32 nm away
- METAR
- PATK 180053Z 21005KT 10SM CLR 22/07 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP090 T02220072 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.0 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.