- Date
- September 14, 2025, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- St Mary's, AK · remote
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3797ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- 20250914017739A
- Case key
- 201876
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 improper decision to takeoff with a tailwind, from a short off-airport strip, which degraded the climb performance of the airplane and led to impact with trees at the end of the strip.
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 reported that he attempted to depart from a 200 yard long, remote airstrip, downhill with a tailwind in a tailwheel equipped airplane. The airplane lifted off the ground but impacted alders at the end of the strip. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3797Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7492
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 7,227
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 25, 2025 · 64 hours before
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 6, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,105 total · 1,564 in this make and model · 2,071 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- PASM, 16 nm away
- METAR
- METAR PASM 141956Z AUTO 36004KT 10SM FEW027 04/M01 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP166 T00441006=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.
Other investigations on N3797Z · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.