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WPR20CA287

2020-08-22 · Tok, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PFTO

Current FAA registration · N7468D

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18A 150
Year of manufacture
1957 · 63 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19581125
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AA0C48

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with trees.

Factual narrative

The student pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while on final approach, the airplane drifted off runway centerline and she tried to recenter the airplane prior to touchdown. The airplane touched down and veered right, exited the runway and impacted trees. Both wings were substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_WPR20CA287.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.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers