Grumman G-44 accident near Wood River, Alaska, June 30, 1987
On June 30, 1987 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Grumman G-44, registered N176MS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wood River, 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
- June 30, 1987 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wood River, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-44 · all G-44s on the register
- Registration
- N176MS · no longer on the register · serial 1324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS TAKING OFF AND AFTER INITIAL CLIMBOUT, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE THE WATER, THE AIRPLANE STOPPED CLIMBING. THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STALLED THE AIRCRAFT ON CLIMBOUT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,111 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 13,111 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 220 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-B1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Nerka AK at 12:00 pm
- Destination: Togiak AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
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 N176MS 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.