Piper PA-12 accident near Tyonek, Alaska, September 6, 2021
On September 6, 2021 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1946 Piper PA-12, registered N149AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Tyonek, 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 selection of inappropriate terrain and decision to land with a tailwind, which resulted in a loss of directional control, an attempted go-around, and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2021 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tyonek, Alaska · 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
- N149AK · registry record · serial 121338
- 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 he was landing off-airport, uphill, with a quartering tailwind. After touchdown, as the airplane began to slow, he began to have a loss of directional control. He attempted a go-around but had insufficient airspeed to attain an altitude to clear the approaching terrain. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the soft gravel terrain, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage sustained to the right-wing spar. The pilot reported no preimpact 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 defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,475 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 3,387 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 2, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,010.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,935 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 13,615 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from PAEN, 48 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAEN 062053Z 24006KT 10SM FEW030 14/08 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP127 T01440078 51013
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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 ANC21LA085.