- Date
- September 10, 2025, 14:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Louise, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5025HPiper PA-11
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- FAA report
- 20250910015399A
- Case key
- 200982
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 encounter with gusting crosswind conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain.
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 departing from a remote airstrip in his tailwheel equipped airplane. He reported that shortly after takeoff, the airplane encountered a strong crosswind, which resulted in the airplane veering to the right. The pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane into the wind, which resulted in a nose high attitude. Concerned with stall conditions, he attempted to level the wings, and lower the nose of the airplane; however, there was not enough altitude to complete the recovery, and the airplane impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5025H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-905
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 3,174.59
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 28, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NONE
- Equipment
- 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
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 290 total · 219 in this make and model · 236 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.51 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK, 59 nm away
- METAR
- PAGK 100953Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM OVC065 09/08 A2951 RMK AO2 RAB25E40 SLP993 P0000 T00890078 TSNO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.