Piper PA-16 accident near Big Lake, Alaska, March 17, 2013
On March 17, 2013 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-16, registered N5942H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Big Lake, Alaska (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2013 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-16 · all PA-16s on the register
- Registration
- N5942H · registry record · serial 16-564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a 1,400-foot-long, remote airstrip located on a frozen, snow-covered lake. According to the pilot, the surface of the airstrip appeared to be hard, compacted snow with a turn-around at its south end. Before beginning the approach, the pilot determined a touchdown point in the turn-around area to afford maximum use of the landing surface. After touchdown, the main wheels sank into the snow, and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder, lift struts, and wings. Upon exiting the airplane, the pilot realized that the turn-around area was loose, soft snow that had not been compacted. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,908 hours in all; 171 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3,751 as pilot in command; 474 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 27, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,407 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAAQ Palmer AK at 2:30 pm
- Destination: PVT Big Lake AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,400 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PAAQ, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N5942H 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: 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. 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 ANC13CA034.