Piper PA-18 accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, December 23, 1993
On December 23, 1993 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N7121P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND NOT MAINTAINING THE PROPER CLEARANCE FROM THE TERRAIN DURING THE APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1993 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Port Alsworth, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N7121P · registry record · serial 7121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN APPROACH TO AN ICE FROZEN LAKE, THE PLANE, PILOTED BY A NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT, COLLIDED WITH A TREE. IN AUGUST 1971, THE PILOT'S APPLICATION FOR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS DENIED BY THE FEDERAL AIR SURGEON. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS HE HAD BEEN TAKING AN ANTI-SEIZURE MEDICATION ON A DAILY BASIS WITHOUT ANY RECURRING PROBLEMS.
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
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 120 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,590 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1993; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°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 ANC94LA027.