Piper PA-12 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, January 16, 2023
On January 16, 2023 at about 11:08 pm local time, a 1947 Piper PA-12, registered N3904M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Anchorage, Alaska (Campbell Lake 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 selection of an unsuitable landing site, resulting in the main landing gear wheels breaking through the snow, and a subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 2023 · about 11:08 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Campbell Lake · 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 1947 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N3904M · registry record · serial 12-2803
- 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 landing on a snow-covered frozen lake in a tundra tire-equipped airplane, the main landing gear wheels broke through the hard-packed snow, and the airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, lift struts and rudder. 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 299 hours in all; 181 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 227 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 22, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,574.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2022; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,935 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming o-320-D2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PALH Anchorage AK at 2:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 800 ft by 15 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:08 pm
Weather report (METAR): METAR PALH 162353Z AUTO 33003KT 10SM FEW120 M04/M06 A2917 RMK AO2 SLP880 T10391056 11033 21050 56007 TSNO=
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 April 6, 2023. 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.