Piper PA-18 accident near Northway, Alaska, February 27, 1983
On February 27, 1983 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N4876A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Northway, 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 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
- February 27, 1983 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Northway, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N4876A · registry record · serial 18-4975
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT WHILE HE WAS FLYING IN A CANYON, UP CUB CREEK, HE ENCOUNTERED UNANTICIPATED TURBULENCE. HE DECIDED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN & LEAVE THE CANYON. HOWEVER, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE RIGHT WING OF THE ACFT STRUCK A TREE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STALLED & CRASHED IN A BUSHY AREA. REPORTEDLY, THE WIND WAS GUSTING TO 20 KTS.
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: 4,500 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 661 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: White Rvr Lodge AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Cub Creek AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N4876A 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.