Piper L-21A accident near Kaktovik, Alaska, August 18, 1995
On August 18, 1995 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper L-21A, registered N8373H, was destroyed in an accident near Kaktovik, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1995 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kaktovik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper L-21A · all L-21As on the register
- Registration
- N8373H · registry record · serial 18-953
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane, one of two airplanes taking part in a hunting trip, landed in a remote and mountainous region. Ten days later, the accident airplane departed the hunting camp on a return flight and headed toward a mountain pass. The second airplane remained at the hunting camp for another 8 days and then departed on a return flight. The accident airplane was reported overdue 16 days after initially landing at the hunting camp. Search personnel did not locate the accident site until the second airplane pilot returned to the area 17 days after the accident airplane departed the hunting camp. The accident site, located in the high Arctic region, was subjected to continuous low ceilings and snow. Search and rescue personnel recovered the pilot from the accident scene but investigators were unable to reach the site until 12 months later. The airplane struck rising terrain at 5,000 feet mean sea level about 700 feet below a mountain pass. The airplane contained a large amount of camping equipment, a bear hide, and a bag containing about 40 sheep skulls and horns. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction with the airplane was found.
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: 260 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 1995; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FYU Ft. Yukon AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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 ANC95FA157.