Piper PA-22 accident near North Pole, Alaska, July 14, 1998
On July 14, 1998 at about 5:30 am local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N1724P, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Pole, Alaska (Blair Lake 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 pilot's selection of unsuitable runway terrain for takeoff, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors in the accident were uneven/rutted terrain, and high vegetation along the runway edge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1998 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- North Pole, Alaska · Blair Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N1724P · registry record · serial 22-2514
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a passenger were departing from a private airstrip. During the takeoff roll, the airplane's left main tire entered a rut, and veered to the left. The left main tire then entered an area of tall grass located along the left edge of the airstrip. The left wingtip then struck a tree. The airplane pivoted about 180 degrees to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The right wing, and the right elevator, struck the ground. The airplane received additional damage to the tailwheel assembly, the fuselage, and the propeller.
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: 222 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 186 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,144 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1998; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2AK1
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 1,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°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 N1724P 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.