Piper PA-12 accident near North Pole, Alaska, September 5, 2011
On September 5, 2011, a Piper PA-12, registered N78463, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near North Pole, Alaska (Airway airport). 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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2011 · cases in 2011
- Place
- North Pole, Alaska · Airway · cases near this airport · 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
- N78463 · registry record · serial 12-1974
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane aborted 2 takeoffs to the north from a float pond after failing to become airborne at his no-go decision point. He reported that the wind was variable and that he then initiated a third takeoff to the south. The airplane lifted off prior to reaching the no-go point, but the pilot thought that he was not going to clear the trees at the shoreline. He said the wind may have changed direction or calmed, and the airplane was near stall airspeed. He said he had no option but to increase the pitch attitude, causing the airplane to stall and impact the pond.
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 in flight during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 353 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 154 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 276 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,084 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 17, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,838 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5AK3 North Pole AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: 5AK3 North Pole AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on October 3, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N78463 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser 1,247 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Airway Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC11CA094.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.