Piper PA-12 accident near Nikolai, Alaska, August 28, 2021
On August 28, 2021 at about 3:30 am local time, a 1946 Piper PA-12, registered N2579M, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Nikolai, Alaska (Pvt airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control on go-around in gusting crosswind conditions. Contributing to accident was the pilot’s decision to attempt to land at a short off-airport landing site with a malfunctioning airspeed indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2021 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Nikolai, Alaska · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12, built 1946 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2579M · registry record · serial 12-946
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was landing at a short, unimproved, off-airport landing site with a malfunctioning airspeed indicator. After touchdown, he immediately retracted the flaps when a strong gusting crosswind lifted the left wing, and the right main tire simultaneously impacted a large rock. The airplane bounced into the air, and he applied throttle to arrest the airplanes descent and touched down again. Realizing he was beyond the halfway point of the landing surface; he applied full throttle and initiated a go-around. The airplane failed to gain altitude, stalled, impacted the ground and nosed-over sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, vertical stabilizer and rudder. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airspeed indicator instrument; however, a blockage was present in the pitot/static system. The pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had returned to his departure airstrip when he noticed the malfunctioning airspeed indicator rather than continuing and attempting to land at the short, unimproved, off-airport landing site.
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 in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › (general) › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 27,995 hours in all; 437 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 2,787 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,972.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 29, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway PVT, 450 ft by 15 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 7:01 pm from PAFS, 52 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAFS 280301Z AUTO 30005KT 10SM FEW049 OVC065 07/M01 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP163 T00721006 51015
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 ANC21LA077.