Piper PA-18 accident near Sleetmute, Alaska, March 31, 2012
On March 31, 2012 at about 1:08 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N7276D, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Sleetmute, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Operation of the airplane by a non-certificated pilot and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed and airplane control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2012 · about 1:08 am local time
- Place
- Sleetmute, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N7276D · registry record · serial 18-5685
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes after the uncertificated pilot and a passenger departed for a reconnaissance flight, a witness saw the airplane flying "low and slow" over the treetops toward the intended landing site. As the airplane flew toward the landing site threshold, it began a slight right turn, then it nosed down abruptly, and the engine speed increased to a very high rpm setting. The airplane continued the near-vertical, steep descent, and it began a 3/4 spiral turn downward, indicative of an aerodynamic stall, before descending from view into the trees at the approach end of the site. An NTSB on scene wreckage examination of the airplane did not disclose any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed during the low-altitude approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall from which he could not recover even with the addition of engine power.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PASL Sleetmute AK
- Destination: Red Devil AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.29 inHg
- Observation at 8:16 pm from PASL, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 ANC12FA028.