Piper PA-18 accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, May 1, 2000
On May 1, 2000 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N3935Z, was destroyed in an accident near Kotzebue, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were weather conditions consisting of low ceilings, fog, a whiteout, and the pilot's lack of certification.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2000 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kotzebue, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N3935Z · no longer on the register · serial 18-7781
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, the holder of an expired student pilot certificate, departed a remote village with a load of whale meat. The route of flight was along the coast of the Bering Sea, over snow-covered terrain, adjacent to snow-covered sea ice. The weather conditions along the route consisted of low ceilings with areas of fog and snow showers. The pilot did not file a flight plan. He was not reported overdue, and no ELT signal was received from the airplane. The wreckage was discovered by passing villagers about 3/4 mile inland from the coastline. The airplane collided with terrain and came to rest inverted. No preimpact mechanical malfunction was discovered. According to relatives, the pilot, who was not an aviation mechanic, maintained the airplane himself, and no maintenance records were located.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,095 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVL Kivalina AK at 8:00 am
- Destination: PAOT Kotzebue AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3935Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.