Piper PA accident near Glennallen, Alaska, October 7, 2015
On October 7, 2015 at about 2:20 am local time, a 1946 Piper PA, registered N7879H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Glennallen, Alaska. 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 failure to maintain clearance from trees during the approach to land, resulting in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2015 · about 2:20 am local time
- Place
- Glennallen, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 12, built 1946
- Registration
- N7879H · registry record · serial 12-782
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during a landing at an airstrip, he did not realize that he was not centered on the airstrip. The pilot reported that the left wing tip struck a tree during the approach to land. He reported that he tried to control the airplane after the initial impact, however the left wing impacted a second tree, and the airplane collided with the terrain coming to rest in the brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 62 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 27, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,662.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z93 Copper Center AK at 8:50 am
- Destination: PAGK Glennallen AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PAGK, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 24, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.