Piper PA-12 accident near Tok, Alaska, September 18, 2022
On September 18, 2022 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1946 Piper PA-12, registered N92740, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Tok, Alaska (Gravel Bar airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s improper application of the brakes, which resulted in a nose-over and substantial damage to the rudder and wings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2022 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tok, Alaska · Gravel Bar · 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
- N92740 · registry record · serial 12-177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during the landing roll on a gravel bar, she applied the brakes to slow the airplane, but felt an “unusual amount of forward momentum.” She pulled back on the stick, however, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder and wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 376.9 hours in all; 160.8 in this make and model; 53.7 in the last 90 days; 19.7 in the last 30 days; 317.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,483.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 481 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTFO Tok AK at 8:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from CYXQ, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): CYXQ 182000Z 05007KT 020V100 30SM FEW035 SCT250 10/03 A3001 RMK CU1CI2 SLP192
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 7, 2022. 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, 16 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | 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 N92740 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.