Smith MINIPLANE 1 accident near Petersburg, Alaska, June 11, 1986
On June 11, 1986 at about 3:30 am local time, a Smith MINIPLANE 1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N8W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Petersburg, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1986 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Petersburg, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith MINIPLANE 1 MINIPLANE, amateur-built
- Registration
- N8W · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DERARTING THE ARPT AND FLYING ABOUT 75 FT AGL, THE PLT ADDED POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB. THERE WAS A POWER HESITATION AND THE ACFT DID NOT CLEAR TREES IN IT'S PATH. THE ACFT STRUCK TREES AND DESCENDED TO GROUND IMPACT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THERE HAD BEEN WATER IN THE FUEL AND THE ACFT HAD BEEN STORED WITHOUT THE FUEL TANKS BEING TOPPED OFF.
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: 505 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 503 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming UNK (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSG Petersburg AK at 10:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8W 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.