Piper PA-12 accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, August 20, 1994
On August 20, 1994 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N2389M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska. It was a business 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
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING AND A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE THE RISING, ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN AND THE TAILWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 1994 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chickaloon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2389M · no longer on the register · serial 12-1511
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT/ASSISTANT HUNT GUIDE AND A PASSENGER/HUNTER WERE COMPLETING A BUSINESS CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO TRANSPORT THE PASSENGER TO A GAME HUNTING SITE FOR A GUIDE/OUTFITTER COMPANY. THE PILOT WAS LANDING ON A 600-FOOT-LONG REMOTE TUNDRA AIRSTRIP IN A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED AIRPLANE AT 4,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL IN AN AREA OF ROUGH, RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT REPORTED A SLIGHT TAIL WIND FROM THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO DIVERGE TO THE LEFT TOWARD AN ORANGE CONE AT THE LEFT EDGE OF THE STRIP. THE PILOT ADDED POWER FOR A GO-AROUND; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN.
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: 1,350 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,330 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,850 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1994; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK at 12:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 600 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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.
Other NTSB records under N2389M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.