Piper PA-18 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, January 8, 1984
On January 8, 1984 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1317A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- January 8, 1984 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N1317A · registry record · serial 18-1124
- 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 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, HE ENCOUNTERED A WHITE OUT CONDITION. THE ACFT STALLED AND CRASHED ON AHILLSIDE.
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: 2,500 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 1983; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Creek Mine at 1:08 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 5°F (-15°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.
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.