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| Date: | Thursday 11 August 2022 |
| Time: | 11:52 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3937M |
| MSN: | 12-2825 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1947 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Arctic Village, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Marsh Strip, AK |
| Chandalar Airport, AK (WCR/PALR) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 11, 2022, at 1152 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-12 airplane, N3937M, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Arctic Village, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot was returning from a solo hunting trip when the accident occurred. There were no reported distress calls or radio communications from the pilot. The next day a pilot who was overflying the area spotted the airplane wreckage about 2 nautical miles (nm) west of a gravel airstrip. A review of the data from the accident pilot’s GPS revealed that the airplane departed the gravel strip to the south and then made a right turn into a mountain valley. The flight track continued west up the valley about 300 to 400 ft above ground level (agl) for about 2 nm, then made a sharp left turn and descended to the ground.
The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude and came to rest upright. The forward fuselage and cockpit area were crushed upward and aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surfaces, through a few impact separations, to the cockpit controls. The flaps were partially extended. The pitch trim jackscrew was found in a full noseup position. The propeller damage signatures were indicative of the engine operating at the time of impact. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine data monitor data indicated the engine was operating normally with no anomalies noted.
A postaccident weight calculation, including fuel, revealed the airplane was about 61 lbs over its maximum gross weight. The airplane's center of gravity could not be calculated since the exact location/station of the cargo could not be determined.
The pilot who discovered the wreckage stated that, on the afternoon of the accident, there was significant wind shear in the area with sustained wind at least 20 kts and gusting to at least 30 kts. He stated that the wind gusts were violent, which made him park his airplane on an airstrip about 15 miles east of the gravel airstrip and wait for the wind to subside. He added that another pilot who flew northbound over the gravel strip a few hours after the accident time reported that the wind conditions were very turbulent.
The circumstances of the accident were consistent with the pilot’s loss of control shortly after taking off into reported high gusting wind.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s decision to depart in turbulent and gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105729
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=3937M
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 1 June 2018 | N3937M | Private | 0 | Nulato, AK | |
sub |
| Heavy landing | ||||||
Location
Media:
The NTSB is investigating the crash, at an unknown date, of a Piper PA12 in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 102 miles south of Deadhorse, Alaska.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 13, 2022
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Aug-2022 18:54 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 13-Aug-2022 19:00 | Captain Adam | Updated [Date, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 15-Aug-2022 16:13 | AgOps | Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Sep-2022 00:04 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 29-Jun-2024 19:25 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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