Piper PA-18 accident near Minto, Alaska, January 25, 1985
On January 25, 1985 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N4242Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minto, 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
- January 25, 1985 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Minto, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N4242Z · registry record · serial 18-8597
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD LANDED THE SKI EQUIPPED ACFT ON THE SHORE OF A LAKE THAT WAS COVERED WITH GRASSY TUNDRA & SNOW. FOR A SUBSEQUENT TAKEOFF, HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD RATHER THAN BACK TAXI TO WHERE HE HAD A KNOWN SURFACE CONDITION. DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE PLT ELECTED TO LIFT-OFF PREMATURELY TO MINIMIZE BOUNCING/POUNDING ON THE ROUGH SURFACE. HOWEVER, THE SKIS BROKE THRU THE CRUSTED SNOW & THE ACFT NOSED OVER.
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: 2,200 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,448 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1984; 135 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: PS Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N4242Z 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.