Piper PA-14 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 7, 1985
On July 7, 1985 at about 4:30 am local time, a Piper PA-14, registered N4292H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
- July 7, 1985 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-14 · all PA-14s on the register
- Registration
- N4292H · registry record · serial 1445
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ABORTED HIS 1ST ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF DUE TO BOAT & WATER SKI ACTIVITY. HE BACK TAXIED & BEGAN A 2ND ATTEMPT ON ROUGH WATER. THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AT ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. IT STOPPED CLIMBING WHEN THE PLT BEGAN TO RAISE THE FLAPS, SO HE 'PULLED THE SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS BACK ON' AND BEGAN A SHALLOW TURN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT MUSHED, COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED.
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
- Flight time: 1,005 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,965 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1984; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,935 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N4292H 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.