Piper PA-18 accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska, September 17, 1987
On September 17, 1987 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N7051, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- September 17, 1987 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sparrevohn, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N7051 · registry record · serial 18-2932
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS AN ALASKA STATE TROOPER PERFORMING HIS OFFICIAL DUTIES AND WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OF ALASKA. HE HAD LANDED ON A REMOTE RIDGE TOP TO RECOVER ESSENTIAL ITEMS OF EVIDENCE FOR A PENDING CASE. UPON DEPARTURE FROM THE RIDGE, ROUGH TERRAIN PREMATURELY BOUNCED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE AIR AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO REMAIN AIRBORNE OR CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A SMALL TREE AND NOSED OVER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,660 hours in all; 936 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,697 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 1987; 236 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: State Of Alaska
The flight
- Destination: MCG Mc Grath AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 80 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N7051 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.