Piper PA-18-150 accident near Beaver, Alaska, November 12, 1992
On November 12, 1992 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N9124D, was destroyed in an accident near Beaver, Alaska. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AT AN ALTITUDE INADEQUATE TO AFFECT A RECOVERY. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE OVERWEIGHT AIRPLANE, AND THE SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1992 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beaver, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9124D · registry record · serial 18-6503
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PURPOSE OF FLIGHT WAS TO COUNT MOOSE. THE PILOT HAD REPORTED TO ANOTHER SURVEY PILOT, WHO WAS WORKING IN AN AREA NEARBY AND JUST OVER THE RIDGE, THAT HIS ASSIGNED AREA HAD SOME FOG IN THE UPPER ELEVATIONS, BUT THAT IT WAS WORKABLE. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED THAT THE STANDARD SEARCH HAD BEEN COMPLETED, AND THAT HE WAS COMMENCING THE INTENSIVE SEARCH PATTERN. THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE FLIGHT. DURING THE INTENSIVE SEARCH, WHICH TAKES 20-30 MIN TO COMPLETE, A SERIES OF SLIGHTLY OVERLAPPING CIRCLES OR OVALS ARE FLOWN AT 200-300 FT AGL, AT 60 TO 70 MPH, WITH ONE NOTCH (15 DEG) OF FLAPS. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED SNOW COVERED TUNDRA NOSE FIRST AT AN ANGLE OF APPROX 40 DEG. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROX 300 LBS OVER MAX CERTIFICATED GROSS WEIGHT.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,083 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1992; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming O-320-A3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYU Fort Yukon AK at 1:22 pm
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,700 ft; clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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 ANC93GA020.