Piper PA-20 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, May 16, 1999
On May 16, 1999 at about 1:54 am local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N8883C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska (Dillingham 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate preflight by the pilot, who left the rudder gust lock installed, making directional control not possible.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1999 · about 1:54 am local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · Dillingham · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N8883C · registry record · serial 22-1465
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during taxi for takeoff the tailwheel equipped airplane did not steer correctly. He said that he decided to return to parking. While returning to park, the airplane turned to the left 270 degrees, substantially damaging the empennage. Postaccident inspection revealed the rudder gust lock was still installed on the tail.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 320 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 23,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 1997; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLG at 8:54 pm
- Destination: KKU Ekuk AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,404 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from DLG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8883C 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC99LA062.