Skip to content

CEN22LA417

2022-09-09 · Delta Junction, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport N/A

Current FAA registration · N303T

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-105 SPECIAL
Year of manufacture
1953 · 69 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20160502
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A32C20

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s decision to depart during high, gusty wind conditions which resulted sink and subsequent impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot planned to depart from a 2,250 ft turf/gravel runway with expected wind conditions of 5 to 10 knots. After he arrived to the airplane, the pilot observed high wind conditions, with gusts to 40 knots. The pilot elected to depart and as the airplane passed over trees during the initial climb, he noticed high, gusty wind conditions, which he made full control inputs to counter. The airplane entered into sink and it subsequently impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and that he should have delayed the departure based on the high wind conditions. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-High wind-Decision related to condition
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_CEN22LA417.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.