Piper PA-12 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, October 10, 1998
On October 10, 1998 at about 4:40 am local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N98900, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Seaplane 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 misjudgment of a proper touchdown point. Factors associated with the accident were darkness, and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1998 · about 4:40 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Seaplane · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N98900 · registry record · serial 12-246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he was returning to Lake Hood after winterizing his remote cabin. He stated that his departure from Snider Lake was later than he had anticipated, requiring him to land at night at Lake Hood. The pilot reported that he made a straight in approach, landing to the south, utilizing the south water lane. He said that just prior to touchdown, he realized that he was about 500 feet to the right of the intended touchdown area, and over a gravel aircraft parking area. The pilot said that he applied full power in an attempt to go-around, but the airplane continued to settle onto the parking area. The airplane's right wing struck a parked Piper PA-18, and a set of stored floats. The airplane pivoted to the right, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane's wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. .
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,070 hours in all; 2,012 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,054 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 1998; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK at 10:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,930 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from ANC
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 ANC99LA003.