Piper J-3 incident near Near Big Lake, Alaska, August 5, 1982
On August 5, 1982 at about 5:15 am local time, a Piper J-3, registered N70604, suffered minor damage in an incident near Near Big Lake, 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 incident. 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
- August 5, 1982 · about 5:15 am local time
- Place
- Near Big Lake, Alaska
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N70604 · registry record · serial 17613
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFTS ENGINE LOST POWER AND BEGAN VIBRATING SEVERLY. AFTER THE PILOT TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, HE EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A MARSH. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT BOGGED DOWN AND NOSED OVER. A TEARDOWN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT IT HAD EXPERIENCED AN INTERNAL FAILURE IN THE AREA OF THE #1 AND #2 CYLINDERS. WHILE THE EXACT MODE AND SEQUENCE OF FAILURE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED, EVIDENCE OF INADEQUATE LUBRICATION WAS OBSERVED.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 129 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 81 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,272 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 422 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Lake Hood AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: LHD Lake Hood AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°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.
Other NTSB records under N70604 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.