Piper PA-12 accident near Merrill Field Airport, Alaska, October 16, 2010
On October 16, 2010 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N4229M, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Merrill Field Airport, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certificated flight instructor's failure to apply the correct remedial actions to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2010 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Merrill Field Airport, Alaska · Merrill Field · 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
- N4229M · registry record · serial 12-3126
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during departure the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and collided with a taxiway berm, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) reported that during takeoff, the airplane initially yawed to the left. He took authority over the flight controls and attempted to correct the yaw, but the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The CFI stated that he should have closed the throttle as soon as directional control was lost.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 563 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 8, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 10 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,054 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,935 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Merrill Field Airport AK at 11:30 am
- Destination: PAMR Merrill Field Airport AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAMR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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 ANC11CA003.