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ANC23LA018

2023-01-13 · Glennallen, Alaska, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N5373Y

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-150
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19930722
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A6CD46

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during a drag maneuver, which resulted in an overrun and subsequent impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, before landing his wheel/ski-equipped airplane at a snow-covered airstrip, he elected to “drag” the site, which involved doing a series of touch-and-go landings to determine the snow conditions before doing a full stop landing. He said that after completing two successful drags on the untouched snow, during the third, he inadvertently allowed the airspeed to decay, and he was unable to get airborne again. The airplane subsequently passed the end of the airstrip and impacted a snow-covered gravel berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ANC23LA018.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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