- Date
- April 22, 2026, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK · Mouth of Friday Creek
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4136EPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 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
- 20260422005599A
- Case key
- 202871
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 directional control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a ground loop.
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 while conducting a touch and go landing on a gravel bar in a tailwheel equipped airplane, a strong gust of wind lifted the left wing. The airplane subsequently rolled to the left and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, rudder and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4136E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809082
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,738.26
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 2025
- Departed
- 89AK · Wasilla, AK
- Airport
- NONE · Gravel river bar
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 5, 2025
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 23,071 total · 26 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 17 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 18 nm away
- METAR
- SPECI PAAQ 221900Z 12017G32KT 10SM OVC060 06/M03 A3007 RMK AO2 PK WND 12032/1854 WSHFT 1840 T00611028 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.8 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.
Other investigations on N4136E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.