Grumman Aircraft Eng CORP C-1A accident near Willow, Alaska, October 15, 2012
On October 15, 2012 at about 11:57 pm local time, a Grumman Aircraft Eng CORP C-1A, registered N27PH, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Willow, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control of the airplane for reasons that could not be determined because the wreckage was not recovered from the accident site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2012 · about 11:57 pm local time
- Place
- Willow, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman Aircraft Eng CORP C-1A
- Registration
- N27PH · no longer on the register · serial 136791
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport-rated pilot was on the first leg of a flight to deliver fuel to a remote mining site. About 30 minutes after departure, a primary radar track, thought to be that of the accident airplane, showed the airplane make a 180-degree turn back toward the point of departure. Two witnesses described hearing the airplane pass overhead, and both said that "the airplane did not sound right." One witness stated that the airplane flew directly overhead of his location under a low ceiling and was going very slow. The airplane was severely damaged by a postimpact fire and explosion. A review of on-scene photographs by an NTSB fire and explosives investigator determined that there was no evidence of an in-flight fire. Analysis of weather in the area around the time of the accident showed that although the ceiling was low, the weather did not play a significant role in the accident. An NTSB on-scene examination of the airframe revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. However, due to the disposition of the wreckage, a detailed examination of the engines could not be accomplished on-scene. The wreckage was not recovered from the accident site. The circumstances leading up to the accident could not be determined.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Wright R-1820 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Wright R-1820 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Fuel Services, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PAWS Wasilla AK at 5:20 pm
- Destination: AK40 Nixon Fork Mine AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 14 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Observation at 5:52 pm from PASW, 22 miles away
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.
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.