Piper PA-12 accident near Delta, Alaska, July 17, 2011
On July 17, 2011 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N92770, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Delta, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to make a low-altitude turn back to the airport following a loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the severity of the pilot's injuries was the separation of the pilot's seat during impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2011 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Delta, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N92770 · no longer on the register · serial 12-215
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that the airplane was departing a private airstrip. It reached an altitude of about 200-300 feet above the ground when the engine lost all power, and the airplane began a left turn. During the turn, the airplane's nose pitched down abruptly, and the airplane collided with the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude. Two of the witnesses, both of whom are pilots, noted that before the loss of power, the engine made some popping noises and sounded unusual. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine disclosed no mechanical malfunctions. A carburetor icing probability chart indicated that the relative humidity and temperature at a nearby airport about the time of the accident was conducive to serious icing at glide power. Although carburetor icing was possible, absent any mechanical malfunctions or fuel contamination, it could not be determined why the engine lost power. The accident site was adjacent to a road and about 300 yards from a clear field. Despite these potential landing areas, the pilot decided to attempt to return to the airstrip by initiating a turn at low altitude and low airspeed following the loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a loss of control with insufficient altitude to recover. During the impact, the pilot's seat separated from the airframe and moved forward about 6 inches, which allowed the pilot to impact the instrument panel and subsequently contributed to the severity of the pilot's injuries.
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 engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Inoperative
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Seat/cargo attach fitting › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 230 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,326 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2011; 25 hours since
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Delta AK
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PABI, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N92770 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.