Piper PA-15 accident near Big Lake, Alaska, February 29, 2004
On February 29, 2004 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-15, registered N4492H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight loss of control for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a forced landing and in-flight collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 29, 2004 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-15 · all PA-15s on the register
- Registration
- N4492H · registry record · serial 15-280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot reported he was in cruise flight, about 800 feet agl, when the ski-equipped airplane began an uncommanded left turn. He applied right aileron control in an attempt to straighten the airplane, but the airplane's left bank became increasingly steep. He also applied right rudder to prevent the airplane from becoming inverted. He said the airplane was in a left descending spiral, and he decided to land as soon as possible. He selected an emergency landing area on a small frozen lake, but was unable to achieve his selected spot. He then selected a stand of trees, and during the landing, the airplane's wings, landing gear, and fuselage received extensive damage. The pilot said that the entire emergency event lasted about one minute. The airplane was rebuilt about 5 months before the accident, and had accrued about 2 hours of operation since the rebuild. The airplane skis were installed just prior to the accident flight. The airplane was disassembled and recovered from the accident site. The airplane fuselage and components were examined by NTSB and FAA personnel. No evidence of a flight control system malfunction was found. The ski retention cables and springs exhibited no anomalies.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 4,300 in this make and model; 4,325 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,810 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 14, 2003; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Skwentna AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: PAMR Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 306° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from PASW, 26 miles away
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 N4492H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC04LA033.