Piper 18 accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, September 16, 1982
On September 16, 1982 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Piper 18, registered N345BG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kotzebue, 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1982 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kotzebue, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 18
- Registration
- N345BG · registry record · serial 187273
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF FROM A ROUGH DIRT STRIP APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET IN LENGTH. THE WIND WAS BLOWING FROM THE EAST AND THE TAKEOFF WAS TO THE SOUTHWEST DUE TO THE DOWNHILL SLOPE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF AT AN UNKNOWN AIRSPEED APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK TO THE GROUND AND STRUCK TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM IMPACT WITH THE TREES. SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT BECAME ANGRY AND HAD MISGIVINGS ABOUT REBUILDING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DOUSED THE AIRCRAFT WITH ALCOHOL AND SET IT ON FIRE, DESTROYING THE REMAINS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 495 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 430 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 145 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: Kotzebue AK at 12:45 pm
- Destination: Kotzebue AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 122°F (50°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.