Piper PA-12 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 4, 1983
On July 4, 1983 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N2368M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1983 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2368M · registry record · serial 12-1500
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS AT 1200 FEET NEAR POINT MACKENZIE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. THE ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING A FEW SECONDS LATER. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD TROUBLE SWITCHING TANKS BECAUSE THE SELECTOR WAS IN A PLACE THAT WAS HARD TO SEE AND IT MADE HIM LOSE OUTSIDE REFERENCE. AFTER CHANGING TANKS THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND DURING EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ANYTHING OTHER THAN 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1983; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2368M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC83LA116.