Piper PA 12 accident near Palmer, Alaska, February 1, 2015
On February 1, 2015 at about 5:40 am local time, a 1946 Piper PA 12, registered N2370M, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Palmer, Alaska. It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadvertent switching of the fuel selector to the “off” position during the attempted engine restart.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2015 · about 5:40 am local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 12, built 1946 · all PA 12s on the register
- Registration
- N2370M · no longer on the register · serial 12-1613
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was practicing night, solo takeoffs and landings when the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine by applying carburetor heat and switching the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank, but the engine did not regain power. He did not think that the airplane could reach the runway, so he chose to conduct a forced landing in a golf course adjacent to the airport. During the final approach, the landing gear contacted a power line, and the airplane subsequently impacted terrain. The student pilot further reported that he believed that he inadvertently switched the fuel selector to the "off" position instead of the "right tank" position after the power loss. Examination of the airplane's fuel tanks after the accident revealed that the left wing fuel tank was empty.
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
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wasilla AK
- Destination: PAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from PAAQ, 1 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.