Piper PA-12-150 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, March 19, 1993
On March 19, 1993 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-12-150, registered N4182M, was destroyed in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a business 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 COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS. FACTOR WAS THE DEEP WATER FORCED LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1993 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12-150 · all PA-12-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4182M · registry record · serial 12-3089
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 8 TO 10 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND WHILE HE WAS CROSSING THE KNIK ARM THE ENGINE SPUTTERED ONCE AND THEN STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH NO SUCCESS AND WAS FORCED TO LAND IN THE WATERS OF KNIK ARM. THE AIRPLANE SANK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED.
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
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 430 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1992; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 15 W Skwentna AK at 5:40 pm
- Destination: Sky Harbor AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:31 pm from ANC, 5 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.
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.