# Accident 20110905018999A: Piper PA-12, Anchorage, AK, September 5, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 5, 2011, 22:11 local time
- Place: Anchorage, AK
- Airport: Anchorage-Merrill
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.2136° N, 149.8445° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2136&lon=-149.8445&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3654M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3654M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-12
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC11CA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC11CA097) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110905018999A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 5, MERRILL AIRFIELD.  HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT.  THERE WAS NO EXCESSIVE WINDS OR TURBULENCE ON THE AIRPORT AREA.THE PILOT IDENTIFIED THE RUNWAY AND ALIGNED THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING.  RUNWAY 5 DOES NOT HAVE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTING AND USES REFLECTIVE PANELS TO DETERMINE THE LANDING AREA.  UPON LANDING, THE PILOT NOTICED THE LANDING WAS ROUGHER THAN NORMAL.  AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED, IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO REST IN THE DITCH BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY.  THIS WAS THE FIRST MOMENT THE PILOT REALIZED HE HAD LANDED BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY.THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER ESCAPED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.  DAMAGE WAS TO THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT LIFT STRUT, RIGHT LANDING GEAR, RIGHT GEAR STRUT, AND BOTTOM SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE.

## 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 ANC11CA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC11CA097), Sep 5, 2011: Piper PA-12 (N3654M), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misidentification of the runway environment in dusk light conditions.

## Other reports on N3654M (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20170313017812A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170313017812A), Mar 13, 2017: Piper PA-12 (N3654M), Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. After exiting runway pilot began taxi to parking. A strong, gusty left rear quartering wind started to weather vane aircraft. The pilot applied power and right…

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.

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