Piper PA-12 accident near Arctic Village, Alaska, August 9, 2005
On August 9, 2005 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N78481, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arctic Village, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions, which resulted in an overrun and subsequent nose over during the landing roll. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2005 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Arctic Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N78481 · registry record · serial 12-1992
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot reported that he prepared a remote landing area by cutting brush to form an airstrip. The dirt and rock surface area was oriented east/west, and was about 900 feet long, and about 40 feet wide. He tied wind-indication streamers at both ends of the landing area. He made one successful takeoff and landing, and then picked up a passenger and returned to the landing area. During the accident landing, he landed toward the east, but the landing roll was faster than normal. He stated that as the airplane reached the end of the landing area, he applied heavy braking, and the airplane nosed over. It received structural damage to the left wing, the vertical stabilizer, and the right wing lift struts. Following the accident, the pilot reported that he saw his wind-indicating flagging switch direction 180 degrees.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 180 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GBH Galbraith Lake AK at 3:05 pm
- Destination: Arctic Village AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.