Piper PA-18-150 accident near North Pole, Alaska, September 13, 1992
On September 13, 1992 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N3692Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Pole, Alaska (Wood River Gravel Bar airport). It was a personal 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
PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT TAKEOFF WITHOUT REMOVING SNOW FROM AIRCRAFT SURFACES. FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SNOW CONTAMINATED WING AND OTHER FLIGHT SURFACES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1992 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- North Pole, Alaska · Wood River Gravel Bar · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N3692Z · registry record · serial 18-7427
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT LANDED ON GRAVEL BAR AND LOADED PAX AND CARGO WHILE SNOW ACCUMULATED ON AIRPLANE. PILOT THOUGHT SNOW WOULD BLOW OFF ON TAKEOFF. AIRPLANE COULD NOT TAKEOFF AND NOSED OVER INVERTED IN RIVER.
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; 1,000 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,860 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 1991; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wood River Bar AK at 6:40 pm
- Destination: 95Z North Pole AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.