Piper PA-18 accident near Beluga, Alaska, April 24, 1985
On April 24, 1985 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1827A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beluga, 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
- April 24, 1985 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beluga, 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
- N1827A · registry record · serial 18-1678
- 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 THE RIGHT SKI HIT SOMETHING DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN & BENT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR/SKI DOWN & AFT. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON SNOW COVERED TERRAIN NEAR THE SMALL VILLAGE OF BELUGA, AK. BEFORE COMING TO REST DURING THE LANDING, THE ACFT WENT OVER ON ITS NOSE. THE PLT HAD NEVER TAKEN ANY DUAL INSTRUCTION & HAD NO FAA MEDICAL OR PLT CERTIFICATE. HE STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 150 HRS OVER A SEVERAL YEAR PERIOD, ALL IN N1827A. THE REGISTERED OWNER/OPERATOR WAS A PASSENGER IN THE ACFT.
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
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,963 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 19, 1984; 2,550 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BGQ Big Lake AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:00 pm
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 N1827A 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC85LA072.