Piper PA-11 accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, December 12, 1995
On December 12, 1995 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-11, registered N4589M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska (Delta Junction airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's inadequate preflight preparation/planning, and his improper in flight decision making. Factors associated with the accident are the gusty crosswinds and associated turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1995 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · Delta Junction · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N4589M · registry record · serial 11-92
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was attempting to takeoff in his ski equipped airplane in a gusting crosswind estimated at 25 knots. He said he elected to use the runway subjected to the greatest crosswind because it also had the most amount of snow on it. Soon after becoming airborne, the airplane encountered severe turbulence, and the pilot elected to abort the takeoff. The airplane was not in a position to land on the runway or clear nearby obstructions when the pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane subsequently collided with trees adjacent to the runway.
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: 249 hours in all; 238 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 196 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,983 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 1995; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D66 at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 1,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
Other NTSB records under N4589M 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.