Piper PA-14 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, November 25, 1982
On November 25, 1982 at about 6:06 pm local time, a Piper PA-14, registered N4226H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood 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 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
- November 25, 1982 · about 6:06 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-14 · all PA-14s on the register
- Registration
- N4226H · registry record · serial 14-29
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT DURING AN EARLIER TAKEOFF FROM A FROZEN LAKE THAT HE STRUCK AN UNKNOWN OBJECT IMBEDDED IN DEEP SNOW.HE NOTICED THAT HIS RIGHT GEAR & SKI WERE DAMAGED, & CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT TO ANCHORAGE. APPROACHING ANCHORAGE HE WAS ADVISED BY LAKE HOOD TOWER THAT THE LAKES & CANAL ARE NOTAMED CLOSED DUE TO RUTTED UNEVEN ICE CONDITIONS & THAT A LANDING WOULD BE AT HIS OWN RISK. HE WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE TOWER THAT HIS RIGHT SKI APPEARED TO BE MISSING. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE INFORMATION & TOLD THE TOWER HE WOULD LAND OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF LAKE HOOD. DURING LANDING THE DAMAGED GEAR DUG INTO THE ICE & THE ACFT GROUND LOOPED.
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: 370 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 315 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,841 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: C Little Susitna AK at 1:50 pm
- Destination: C Lake Hood AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,540 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from ANC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N4226H 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.