Artic Aircraft Corp. S-1B2 accident near Hartman River, Alaska, August 24, 1988
On August 24, 1988 at about 1:30 am local time, a Artic Aircraft Corp. S-1B2, registered N55AD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hartman River, 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
- August 24, 1988 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Hartman River, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Artic Aircraft Corp. S-1B2
- Registration
- N55AD · registry record · serial 1006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM A SAND BAR. DURING CLIMB-OUT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, HE FELT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING THE PROPER POWER BECAUSE THE AIRSPEED WAS DROPPING AND THE CLIMB HAD STOPPED. HE MADE A LEFT TURN AND CRASH LANDED ON THE SAND BAR TO AVOID A FULL STALL. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE.
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: 260 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 225 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 29, 1988; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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.
Other NTSB records under N55AD 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC88LA116.