Piper PA-18A accident near Anchorage, Alaska, January 24, 1984
On January 24, 1984 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A, registered N7286D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- January 24, 1984 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A · all PA-18As on the register
- Registration
- N7286D · registry record · serial 5706
- 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 JUST PRIOR TO THE ENG FAILURE, THE LEFT FUEL TANK 'WAS EMPTY' AND THE RIGHT TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 1/8 OF A TANK OF FUEL. THE PLT SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION.
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: 170 hours in all; 166 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 164 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 1984; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXC Chitna AK at 2:05 pm
- Destination: Z38 Sky Harbor AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from ANC, 6 miles away
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 N7286D 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.