Piper PA-12 accident near Arctic Village, AK
On August 11, 2022, a Piper PA-12 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Arctic Village, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 11, 2022
- Place
- Arctic Village, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 68.720°N, 146.234°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220813105729
Official records · ANC22FA066
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 11, 2022, at 1152 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-12 airplane, N3937M, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Arctic Village, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was on a solo hunting trip and was returning home when the accident occurred. On the morning of the accident, the pilot sent messages between 0930 and 1030 that he was preparing to depart the area. There were no reported distress calls or other communications from the pilot. The following day, about 1140, a pilot spotted the wreckage about 2 nm west of Marsh Strip, a gravel airstrip located next to the Marsh Fork of the Canning River. The pilot who discovered the wreckage stated that on the afternoon of the accident, there was significant wind shear with sustained wind at least 20 kts and gusting to at least 30 kts. He stated that the wind gusts were violent, which made him park his airplane on an airstrip about 15 miles east of Marsh Strip and wait for the wind to subside. He added that another pilot who flew northbound over Marsh Strip about 1430 on the day of the accident reported that the wind was very turbulent. A review of the data from the pilot’s GPS revealed that at 1149 the airplane departed Marsh Strip to the south and then made a right turn into the valley, as seen in Figure 1. The flight track continued west up the valley about 300 to 400 ft agl for about 2 nm, then made a sharp left turn and descended to the ground. Figure 1 shows the end of
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to depart in turbulent and gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
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Browse: Alaska · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
