Piper PA-18-150 accident near Ekwok, Alaska, September 5, 2012
On September 5, 2012 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N4127Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ekwok, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's diverted attention during the initial climb, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2012 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Ekwok, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4127Z · registry record · serial 18-8196
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off near a river bank in a float-equipped airplane. During the initial climb, the pilot was distracted by the water rudders and looked inside the airplane. During that moment of inattention, the airplane turned toward the river bank and impacted trees. There were no reported preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4127Z 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 and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site 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 ANC12CA101.