Piper PA-18 accident near Tyonek, Alaska, February 23, 1998
On February 23, 1998 at about 1:34 am local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N1379A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tyonek, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR over-the-top operation, becoming lost/disoriented, his inadequate in-flight planning/decision making, and subsequent fuel exhaustion. Factors in the accident were the presence of a cloud layer below the pilot's selected altitude, the pilot's spatial disorientation, the pilot's lack of night flying experience, dark night conditions, and the lack of instrument panel illumination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1998 · about 1:34 am local time
- Place
- Tyonek, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N1379A · no longer on the register · serial 18-1210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had departed from a remote off-airport area during a dark night. During the flight to the intended destination, a layer of clouds obscured the ground. The pilot continued in VFR on-top conditions and became lost. The pilot climbed to about 10,000 feet msl to remain above the clouds. The airplane was equipped with a turn and bank instrument, but did not have any instrument panel lighting. The airplane's radio was not functioning effectively to establish contact with an FAA facility. The pilot was using a flashlight to illuminate the instrument panel, but the bulb burned out. The passenger in the airplane contacted the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) via a cellular telephone and requested assistance in getting down through the clouds and locating an airport. The pilot, passenger, and FAA air traffic controllers, worked together for about 1 hour in an attempt to assist the flight. About 3 hours after takeoff, the airplane's engine ran out of fuel, and the pilot began a descent through the clouds. The pilot reported he attempted to maintain control of the airplane, but experienced two or three uncontrolled spins. As the airplane neared the ground, the passenger established visual contact with the ground and yelled to the pilot. The pilot then pulled back on the control stick, and the airplane struck ground in an area of small hills. Rescue personnel located the airplane the following day. The pilot did not have an instrument rating. His pilot's certificate contained a limitation that prohibited night flying.
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: 1,500 hours in all; 1,450 in this make and model; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Iliamna AK at 10:30 pm
- Destination: SXQ Soldotna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°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.
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.