Piper PA-18-150 N3994Z

Summary

On 3 June 2025 at about 17:30 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N3994Z, operated by Blue River Aviation, was involved in an accident near Willow, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 2025 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Willow, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Willow (PAUO)

Coordinates

61.7555, -150.0527

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N3994Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Blue River Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palmer → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC25LA071

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action/lack of supervision. Contributing to the accident was the pilot receiving instructions failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a ground loop.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor, seated in the rear seat, stated that he and the pilot receiving instruction, seated in the front seat, were practicing landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot that was receiving instruction to obtain a tailwheel endorsement. During the landing rollout, gusting wind conditions lifted the left wing and the pilot receiving instruction applied right rudder, but the airplane continued to the right. The flight instructor then applied more right rudder; however, the airplane ground looped and sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 13 with wind from 080° at 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.