Piper PA-22 accident near Girdwood, Alaska, December 29, 1988
On December 29, 1988 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N2447P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Girdwood, Alaska (Girdwood airport). It was a personal 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
- December 29, 1988 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Girdwood, Alaska · Girdwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N2447P · no longer on the register · serial 22-2818
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT ESCAPED INJURY WHEN HIS AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH SNOW REMOVAL VEHICLES WHILE LANDING AT THE GIRDWOOD AIRPORT, GIRDWOOD, AK. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLEW OVER THE AIRSTRIP, IN HIS SKI-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, SAW THE EQUIPMENT ON THE RUNWAY, AND RETURNED TO DO A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, HOPING THAT THE EQUIPMENT WOULD MOVE ONCE THEY SAW HIS AIRPLANE APPROACH THE FIELD. HE COMPLETED THE TOUCH AND GO, AND CAME AROUND FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. HIS LANDING ROLL TOOK LONGER THAN HE HAD ANTICIPATED, AND AS HE NEARED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO SLOW IT DOWN AND TO HEAD FOR A CLEAR AREA AT THE END OF THE STRIP. IN THE PROCESS, HE TURNED TOWARDS THE MAINTENANCE VEHICLES, LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND STRUCK BOTH VEHICLES, CAUSING SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE TO THEM AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE MAINTENANCE VEHICLES WERE PARKED OUTSIDE THE RUNWAY PERIMETER MARKING CONES, AND THE FIELD HAD AN ACTIVE NOTICE TO AIRMEN REGARDING MEN AND EQUIPMENT ON THE RUNWAY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 1988; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 2,100 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°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 N2447P 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.