Piper PA-18 accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, September 13, 1986
On September 13, 1986 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N9109D, was destroyed in an accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1986 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Port Alsworth, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N9109D · no longer on the register · serial 18-6488
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 13, 1986, a Piper PA-18 departed Merrill Field Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1145, and was en route to a remote, undisclosed hunting camp. When the pilot failed to return for a second trip, an aerial search was initiated on September 20, 1986, one day after the pilot's wife reported the flight overdue. An extensive search was conducted in the area believed to be the accident pilot's intended destination. The airplane was not found until October 6, 1999, thirteen years later, by a pilot scouting for game. The accident airplane was located in an area of steep mountainous terrain, about 3,000 feet msl. The airplane was destroyed by impact and postimpact fire.
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: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 2:45 pm
- Destination: Unknown AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.