Piper PA-18 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, May 9, 1991
On May 9, 1991 at about 1:40 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N83582, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CARBURETOR ICING AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES PERTAINING TO CARBURETOR HEAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 1991 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N83582 · registry record · serial 187709092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA ONE HALF MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION AND ENGINE RUN REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. THE PILOT DID STATE THAT HE BELIEVED IT WAS CARBURETOR ICE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 932 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 813 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,173 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1991; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Beverly Lake AK at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 20 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from DLG, 1 miles away
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 N83582 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.