Piper PA-18-150 accident near Totatlanika Rvr, Alaska, September 15, 1992
On September 15, 1992 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N1148A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Totatlanika Rvr, Alaska. 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'S POOR INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION IN EVALUATING AND SELECTING UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE LANDING AREA. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 1992 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Totatlanika Rvr, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N1148A · registry record · serial 18-742
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE WHEEL EQUIPPED PA-18 NOSED OVER WHILE LANDING ON A SNOW COVERED RIVER BARR. THIS WAS THE FIRST LANDING IN SNOW COVERED ENVIRONMENT THIS SEASON.
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: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENN Nenana AK at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 99 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°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.
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 ANC92LA171.