Piper PA-12 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, August 31, 1999
On August 31, 1999 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N3824M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a positioning 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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors in the accident were a crosswind, and wind gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1999 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N3824M · registry record · serial 12-2744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot/hunting guide was landing at a remote airstrip located on a mountain ridge with an assistant guide. The purpose of the flight was to establish a camp for his hunting clients. The landing strip is oriented north/south at 3,500 feet msl, and is 850 feet long, and 30 feet wide. The pilot had landed on the ridge numerous times in the past. The pilot said he made several low passes over the area to assess the landing area and wind conditions. During the low passes over the ridge, he noted a quartering head wind from the right, of 10 miles per hour. He said he landed on the ridge, but just after touchdown, encountered a wind gust that pushed the airplane to the left. He added engine power to abort the landing. The tailwheel came off the ground, and he turned the airplane downhill to the left to gain airspeed. The right wing, and the main tires struck the ground on the downhill side of the ridge. The airplane received damage to the landing gear, and the right wing spar.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 1999; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hartman River AK at 4:00 pm
- Runway 36, 850 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.
Other NTSB records under N3824M 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.