Piper PA22 accident near Lake Louise, Alaska, August 22, 2020
On August 22, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA22, registered N3251Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lake Louise, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to takeoff in shifting winds from a remote unimproved gravel bar, which resulted in a failure to attain an airspeed suitable for flight and a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Louise, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA22 150, built 1959 · all PA22s on the register
- Registration
- N3251Z · registry record · serial 22-7199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during takeoff from a remote unimproved gravel bar, after becoming airborne, the airplane began to descend. He added that there was “plenty of runway left” and he allowed the airplane to bounce on the airstrip. The pilot continued the takeoff attempt, and after an additional bounce, the airplane descended for a third time onto “much larger rocks”. Subsequently, the airspeed diminished, and the airplane came to rest in the trees and rocks. The pilot added that during the takeoff, the headwind switched to a tailwind. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 159.8 hours in all; 64.5 in this make and model; 63.9 in the last 90 days; 30.5 in the last 30 days; 110.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,597.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A1B (piston); 3,598 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PAGK, 58 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 8, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3251Z 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.