Piper PA-18-150 accident near Anchor Point, AK
On December 8, 2023, a Piper PA-18-150 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Anchor Point, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 8, 2023
- Place
- Anchor Point, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 59.808°N, 151.834°W
- NTSB ID
- 20231209193500
Official records · ANC24FA008
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Mor Radio Call And Phone Records: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 8, 2023, about 1312 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N1880P, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Anchor Point, Alaska. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A witness near the accident site stated that he heard the airplane’s engine rpm increase, which drew his attention, then looked up and saw the airplane inverted and spinning in a nose-low attitude toward the ground. A vehicle dash-mounted camera recorded about 7 seconds of the airplane’s descent, from about 450 ft above ground level (agl) until the airplane disappeared behind trees (figure 1). The recorded video did not capture the initiating event. The NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory enhanced the video and produced a frame-by-frame flipbook. Review of the video and flipbook revealed the airplane was in an inverted flat spin and was falling vertically at a calculated descent rate of about 4,000 ft per minute (fpm) with no forward momentum throughout the duration of the video. The right wing, empennage, landing gear, and wheel/skis were intact and attached. The left wing’s outboard section was partially separated from the airplane, folded in a V-shape, and remained attached to the fuselage by the lift struts. The left side of the aft fuselage was compromised, deflecting the empennage left of its original position. One propeller blade was positioned up and right, and the other blade was positioned down and left in all frames in which they were visible. Figur
Probable cause
An impact to the left wing, at an undetermined time, for reasons that could not be determined, which partially separated the left wing and rendered the airplane uncontrollable.
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Browse: Alaska · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
