Piper PA-18 accident near Arctic Village, Alaska, August 15, 2000
On August 15, 2000, a Piper PA-18, registered N82962, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arctic Village, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, resulting in an inadvertent stall. A factor in the accident was the gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2000
- Place
- Arctic Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N82962 · registry record · serial 18-7909037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed another hunting camp, about two miles south of the accident site, about five minutes prior to the accident. The pilot said that he flew low across the intended landing site, pulled up and began his turn to return to land. He said that some flags tied to brush alongside the landing site were blowing in wind, and others were hanging limp. He said that during his low pass the airplane encountered a large gain, then loss, of airspeed. He said that as he made his turn, the airplane quit flying and one wing dropped. He described lowering the nose to attempt to increase airspeed, then pulling up just prior to contacting the ground. According to the pilot and witnesses, after the accident, dust devils were visible in the area. The pilot was wearing a helmet, and was restrained by both lap belt and shoulder harnesses. He sustained compressive fractures of the spine, but no head injuries. His helmet was split open, and the forward-left cockpit tube cluster and instrument panel were dented.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gravel Bar AK at 7:00 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°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.
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.