Piper PA-22 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, September 9, 1992
On September 9, 1992 at about 4:00 am local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N1999P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska (Shannons Pond 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 PILOT IN COMMANDS FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND HIS MISJUDGMENT OF THE DISTANCE REQUIRED TO PERFORM A SAFE TAKEOFF UNDER THE CONDITIONS PRESENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1992 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · Shannons Pond · 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
- N1999P · registry record · serial 22-2710
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO DEPART INTO THE WIND AND CLIMB OVER A 15 FOOT OBSTACLE OF TREES. HE ATTEMPTED TO LIFT OFF PREMATURELY AND DRAGGED THE HEAL OF A FLOAT. THE PILOT SAID THAT AT THIS TIME, HE 'SHOULD HAVE PULLED THE POWER OFF AND REJECTED THE TAKEOFF'. HOWEVER, HE PUSHED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DOWN, REGAINED AIRSPEED, AND LIFTED OFF AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. AS THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF, THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOATS SCRAPED THE EDGE OF THE SHORELINE. AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 5 FEET, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. IN A REPORT FILED WITH THE NTSB, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MISJUDGED THE DISTANCE REQUIRED FOR A SAFE TAKEOFF.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 460 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 407 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 1992; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,400 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 30 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 N1999P 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 ANC92LA168.