Piper PA-14 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, January 25, 2021
On January 25, 2021 at about 2:28 am local time, a 1948 Piper PA-14, registered N4265H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Fld airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 instructor pilot’s selection of an unsuitable snow-covered runway for landing practice, and the pilot under instruction’s failure to maintain directional control during a landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control in unpacked snow and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2021 · about 2:28 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-14, built 1948 · all PA-14s on the register
- Registration
- N4265H · registry record · serial 14-69
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was conducting a tailwheel endorsement training flight for another instructor pilot who was seated in the right seat as the pilot flying. After the pilot under instruction conducted multiple touch-and-go landings on the maintained asphalt runway, the instructor pilot decided to have the pilot conduct a touch-and-go on a snow-covered runway that was used by ski-equipped airplanes in the winter. The pilot landed in the center of the runway where the snow had been packed down by skis; however, the airplane drifted right after touchdown and the pilot attempted to correct back to the middle with the instructor pilot’s assistance. The right main landing gear tire “caught unpacked snow” which caused the airplane to turn rapidly right and flip over onto its back. The vertical stabilizer and right wing lift strut sustained substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration’s master airport information states that the runway is used seasonally as a snow runway (ski-equipped aircraft use recommended to minimize wheel rutting.) The instructor pilot was very familiar with the airport, where his flight training school was located. He likely knew that the runway was normally used for ski-equipped airplanes, and that unpacked snow or wheel ruts from other airplanes were potential hazards during the instructional flight. The instructor pilot stated 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 14,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 13, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 793 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 251 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 735 as pilot in command; 483 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 14, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,713.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 27, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-B2B (piston); 2,351 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 2,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PAMR, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAMR 250153Z 00000KT 10SM OVC075 00/M03 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP137 T00001033 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC21LA012.