Beech A36 accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, April 15, 2013
On April 15, 2013 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N1820L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Port Alsworth, Alaska (Port Alsworth airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left main landing gear retraction brace assembly, resulting in the collapse of the left main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2013 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Port Alsworth, Alaska · Port Alsworth · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N1820L · registry record · serial E-843
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the airplane on a dry, unpaved airstrip, when the left main landing gear retraction brace assembly (PN 35-815125-2) broke, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aileron. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Examination of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed no record that the brace assembly had ever been replaced during the airframe's time in service of 19,770 hours. The brace is a on-condition replacement part.
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
- Landing gear collapse 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 Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,043 hours in all; 510 in this make and model; 183 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,770 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 10, 2013; 20 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lake Clark Air, INC
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 4:45 pm
- Destination: AK51 Port Alsworth AK
- Runway 05, 4,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from PALJ, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Other NTSB records under N1820L 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 ANC13CA038.