- Date
- August 23, 2025, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7050KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2026
- 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
- 20250823015069A
- Case key
- 200846
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 receiving instruction’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 flight instructor, seated in the right seat, and the tailwheel-endorsed pilot receiving instruction, seated in the left seat, were conducting an instructional flight in the pilot’s recently purchased, tailwheel-equipped, airplane. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot receiving instruction to gain operational experience in the airplane to satisfy insurance requirements. The pilot receiving instruction reported that, while performing a three-point landing, she bounced during the initial touchdown and, after settling back onto the runway, subsequently lost directional control of the airplane. Both the pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor attempted to recover; however, the airplane ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and elevator. The pilot receiving instruction reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7050K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-158
- Built
- 1950
- Airframe hours
- 3,560.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Syzygy Consulation Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 2025
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field, runway 26, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 26, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 348.5 total · 3 in this make and model · 290 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 7, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,830.1 total · 490 in this make and model · 3,708.9 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 18.6 in the last 30 days · 3.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- AMR, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PAMR 231953Z 32004KT 10SM CLR 17/11 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP223 T01670111
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.