No fatalities

Off-Airport Landing Site Accident Involving Violent Descent

Cordova, AK, United States

On May 6, 2011, a PIPER PA-18-125 was involved in an aviation accident near Cordova, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of aircraft control during final approach in gusty wind conditions, resulting in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

An airplane impacted terrain during final approach to an off-airport landing site after sinking violently at about 50 feet AGL. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies, but noted very erratic winds in the area.

Accident Description and Pilot Statement During final approach to an off-airport landing site, the pilot reported that the airplane began sinking violently at approximately 50 feet above ground level. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. However, the pilot noted that the wind in the area was very erratic at the time of the incident. ## Damage Assessment The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage following the impact with the terrain. No specific aircraft type, registration, operator, date, or location was provided in the source material.

Contributing factors

Causes

Descent rate — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on equipment