Piper PA-18A accident near Mckinley, Alaska, August 14, 1984
On August 14, 1984 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A, registered N1561P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mckinley, 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
- August 14, 1984 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mckinley, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A · all PA-18As on the register
- Registration
- N1561P · no longer on the register · serial 18-3718
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTNG A TAKEOFF FROM A GRAVEL BAR. THE PLT ESTIMATED THE USEABLE AREA FOR TAKEOFF AS 400 TO 500 FT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS AT LEAST 3400 FT MSL. A TEST ENG RUN AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED, DETERMINED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT 'BUTTERFLY' VALVE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY IN THE 'ON' POSITION BUT WHEN PLACED IN THE 'OFF' POSITION WOULD ONLY OPEN PARTIALLY. THIS PREVENTED THE ENG FROM DELIVERYING FULL STATIC POWER DURING THE TEST.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 307 hours in all; 206 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 218 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 1984; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Yanert River AK
- Destination: 5MK Mckinley Park AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:00 am
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.