Piper PA-17 accident near Dutch Harbor, Alaska, January 6, 1995
On January 6, 1995 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-17, registered N4492H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dutch Harbor, Alaska (Dutch Harbor airport). It was a personal 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 PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE RIGHT BRAKE DUE TO A LEAKY BRAKE LINE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 1995 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dutch Harbor, Alaska · Dutch Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-17 · all PA-17s on the register
- Registration
- N4492H · registry record · serial 15-280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND LEFT BRAKE AND CORRECTED THE TURN. THE AIRPLANE THEN BEGAN TO TURN LEFT AND THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE AND RUDDER. THE RIGHT BRAKE DID NOT RESPOND AND THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE RUNWAY. A PRESSURE CHECK AND EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT BRAKE SYSTEM SHOWED A LEAK FROM AN ORIGINAL PIPER MANUFACTURED BRAKE LINE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE MASTER CYLINDER.
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: 187 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,830 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 1994; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DUT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.
Other NTSB records under N4492H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC95LA026.