Piper PA-18-150 accident near Coldfoot, Alaska, September 2, 2012
On September 2, 2012 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N82016, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Coldfoot, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering to reverse course.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2012 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coldfoot, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N82016 · registry record · serial 18-7909052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a personal cross-country flight through a mountain pass. He later reported that upon reaching the pass, the terrain elevation was climbing faster than his airplane, and the weather in the pass was worse than expected. He then decided to turn the airplane around and exit the pass the way he had come. As he made the turn, the terrain continued to rise and it was apparent he wasn't going to make the turn, so he stalled the airplane while trying to out climb terrain. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Obscuration › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,053 hours in all; 920 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 996 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,030 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PASC Deadhorse AK at 12:30 pm
- Destination: PABT Bettles AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; ovct at 400 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N82016 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.