Piper PA-12 accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, May 29, 2023
On May 29, 2023, a 1946 Piper PA-12, registered N7712H, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mcgrath, Alaska. 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 delayed decision to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2023
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska · 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
- N7712H · registry record · serial 12-604
- 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 attempting to depart from an off-airport location. He normally departed downhill into the wind, but the wind direction had shifted. He elected to depart up the hill into the wind. At the end of the runway the airplane lifted off the ground but was not climbing fast enough to avoid the rising terrain. The pilot chose to land, the airplane touched down on the tundra and nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported 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
- Ground collision during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 528.2 hours in all; 528.2 in this make and model; 47.5 in the last 90 days; 32.8 in the last 30 days; 500.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 10, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,636.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 26, 2023; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,935 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-C1A (piston); 1,266 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.45 inHg
- Observation at 4:02 pm from PAMC
Weather report (METAR): PAMC 290002Z AUTO 25008KT 10SM BKN026 BKN034 OVC041 11/05 A2945 RMK AO2 T01110050 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 October 20, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | 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.
Other NTSB records under N7712H 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.