# Accident 19860913082069A: Piper PA18150, Port Alsworth, AK, September 13, 1986 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 13, 1986, 13:50 local time - Place: Port Alsworth, AK - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 60.2010° N, 154.2793° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.2010&lon=-154.2793&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9109D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9109D-2012-09-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA18150 - Reported engine: LYC O320A2A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 1,200 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC86FA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC86FA167) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860913082069A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AIRCRAFT MISSING. WEATHER REPORTED MARGINALLY VFR. PILOT UNDER TREATMENT FOR HYPERTENSION. WAS 360 LBS OVER GROSS. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1986, AT AN ESTIMATED TIME OF 13:50 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N9109D, COLLIDED WITH STEEP TERRAIN ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF PORT ALSWORTH, ALASKA AT 60.55 NORTH LATITUDE, 153.29 WEST LONGITUDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POST IMPACT FIRE. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA ABOUT 11:45 ENROUTE TO A REMOTE HUNTING CAMP. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT WAS TO DROP OFF THE PASSENGER AT AN UNDISCLOSED HUNTING SITE, AND RETURN TO ANCHORAGE TO PICK UP A SECOND PASSENGER. THE PILOT FAILED TO RETURN FOR THE SECOND TRIP, AND AN AERIAL SEARCH WAS INITIATED ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL, U.S. COAST GU ARD, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND VARIOUS PRIVATE AIRCRAFT. LOW CEILINGS ALONG THE PILOT'S INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT LIMITED AIRBORNE SEARCH EFFORTS. NO EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED FROM THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE AERIAL SEARCH, ABOUT 444.0 HOURS WERE FLOWN. THE SEARCH WAS SUSPENDED ON OCTOBER 19, 1986. ON OCTOBER 6, 1999, THE PILOT OF AN AIRPLANE LOCATED THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE ABOUT 3,000 FEET MSL, IN AN AREA OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THERE WERE NO PILOT RECORDS, SUCH AS LOGBOOKS, TO VERIFY CURRENCY AND FLIGHT TIME. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC86FA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC86FA167), Sep 13, 1986: Piper PA-18 (N9109D), Port Alsworth, AK, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: Undetermined. ## Other reports on N9109D (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19850929069769I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850929069769I), Sep 29, 1985: Piper PA18150 (N9109D), Sparrevohn, AK, Minor damage. Engine sputtered during approach due to water in fuel. Aircraft struck some brush damaging wing strut. - [Accident 19811001064469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19811001064469A), Oct 1, 1981: Piper PA18150 (N9109D), Iliamna, AK, Substantial damage. Pilot lost directional control during takeoff and aircraft hit ditch off side of runway. - [Accident 19751008037959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19751008037959A), Oct 8, 1975: Piper PA18150 (N9109D), Iliamna, AK, Substantial damage. Acft heavy. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.