Piper PA-18-150 accident near McGrath, AK
On August 31, 2024, a Piper PA-18-150 (airplane) was involved in an accident near McGrath, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 31, 2024
- Place
- McGrath, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 62.008°N, 154.803°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240831195031
Official records · ANC24FA085
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On August 31, 2024, about 1000 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N7154Z, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near McGrath, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. The airplane departed from a remote hunting camp and traveled to a 2,500-ft ridge about 3.5 miles away to drop off supplies to a hunting guide; the pilot was planning to continue to McGrath for fuel. According to the guide who was at the scene of the accident, the airplane flew over their camp several times before flying further up the ridge, where it executed several passes over the ridge. While the pilot had landed on this ridge in seasons past, this would have been his first time landing on the ridge this season. The guide reported that winds near the accident site were about 15 mph from the northeast and the visibility was good. He reported that the airplane was traveling slow and low on a southwest heading and then it began a right turn to the northeast. As the airplane began what the guide thought to be a right base to final turn, he lost sight of the airplane. However, the guide reported that he could still hear the airplane’s engine. He reported hearing the engine “call for a lot of power” twice and a few seconds later he heard the airplane impact the ground. The airplane was found nose down in a near-vertical attitude on a northeast heading on the south side of the ridge. The wings remained partially attached and the tail was bent slightly to the right. Based on witness
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.
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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.
