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ANC23LA064

2023-08-22 · SKWENTNA, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N4111Z

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18
Year of manufacture
1964 · 59 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19640806
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4DA6A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s decision to taxi the airplane through tall grass without visual reference to the surface which obscured uneven terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported he landed on an unimproved strip, and then elected to reposition the airplane through an area of tall grass. During taxi, the main landing gear wheels hit a dip in the uneven terrain, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the rudder and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Sloped/uneven terrain-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ANC23LA064.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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