Piper PA-12 accident near Nome, Alaska, March 5, 1990
On March 5, 1990 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N7853H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nome, Alaska (Nome airport). It was a public-use 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT GEAR AXLE DUE TO CORROSION AND FATIGUE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 1990 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Nome, Alaska · Nome · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N7853H · registry record · serial 12754
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN, THE LEFT MAIN SKI AXLE FAILED & THE ACFT GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT & WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM REVEALED THE AXLE HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE IN AN AREA OF CORROSION.
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: 773 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 689 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,384 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 30, 1989; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 5,776 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from OME, 1 miles away
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.
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.