Piper PA-20 accident near Shageluk, Alaska, December 6, 1985
On December 6, 1985 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N97MM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shageluk, 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 1985 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Shageluk, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N97MM · registry record · serial 20-41
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CONTACTED TREES AND DESCENDED TO THE TERRAIN WHILE ON AN APCH TO A LAKE. THE PLT REPORTED THE ACFT WINDSCREEN KEPT FROSTING UP AND HE HAD TO REPEATEDLY WIPE IT CLEAN. IN THE PROCESS OF WIPING THE WINDSCREEN HE APPROACHED THE LAKE AT A LOWER THAN INTENDED ALT AND THE ACFT CONTACTED THE 60 FT TALL TREES. THE PLT STATED HE HAD PURCHASED A WINDSCREEN HEATER BUT HAD NOT YET INSTALLED IT.
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: 1,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SHX Shageluk AK
- Destination: ANV Anvik AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:15 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N97MM 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC86LA012.