Piper PA-22 accident near Palmer, Alaska, October 29, 2002
On October 29, 2002 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N878A, was destroyed in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The premature liftoff by the pilot during takeoff, which resulted in on ground encounter with terrain when the airplane settled onto rocks. A contributing factor in the accident was an unfavorable wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2002 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N878A · registry record · serial 22-183
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was attempting to takeoff from a remote gravel bar. He noted the wind conditions as generally calm, with infrequent gusts. Shortly after liftoff, the airplane settled onto the gravel bar and collided with rocks, collapsing the main landing gear. The airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane, and that a wind shift or gust may have contributed to the accident.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 361 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A3B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Wasilla AK at 1:00 pm
- Destination: Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.