# Incident 20120528011189I: Piper PA-12, Palmer, AK, May 28, 2012 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 28, 2012, 16:00 local time - Place: Palmer, AK - Airport: Palmer Airport - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 61.5972° N, 149.1147° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Palmer, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5972&lon=-149.1147&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7511H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7511H-2019-10-05) (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: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 477 total, 477 in this make and model, 43 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120528011189I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DESCRIPTION: AIRCRAFT CRASH ON KNIK RIVER STATEMENT OF EVENTS: THE PILOT DEPARTED PAMR (MERRILL FIELD) APPROX. 2:30 PM EN ROUTE TO BIRCHWOOD TO VISIT A FRIEND PRIOR TO FLYING TO THE KNIK RIVER TO COMPLETE SOME RIVER LANDINGS FOR PRACTICE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED PRIOR TO DEPARTING HOME STATION OR ANY EN ROUTE STOPS.HE STATED THAT HE DIDN'T CONTACT FSS OR RECEIVE ANY WEATHER REPORTS PRIOR TO DEPARTING BUT DID CHECK BOTH BIRCHWOOD AND PALMER AIRPORT AWOS EN ROUTE. HE STATED THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER REPORTS FOR HIGH WINDS OR LOW CEILINGS IN EITHER AWOS REPORTS.THE PILOT HAS APPROXIMATELY 480 TOTAL FLYING HOURS WITH RECENCY EXPERIENCE OF 20 HRS/60 HRS/80 HOURS IN THE PAST 30/60/90 DAYS. HIS TRAINING WITH A CFI INCLUDED FREQUENT VISITS TO THE KNIK RIVER AREA FOR RIVER LANDINGS. HE ESTIMATED THAT HE HAS BEEN TO THE RIVER AREA 40 TIMES. THE PILOT STATED THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND LIGHTING. ALL LANDINGS/TAKEOFFS WERE COMPLETED INTO THE PREVAILING WINDSAFTER APPROXIMATELY 6 LANDINGS ON THE RIVER, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STOPPED TO REVIEW HIS LANDING DISTANCE MARKS WHEN AN UNEXPECTED WIND CAME DOWN THE GLACIER/RIVER. THE WIND SUDDENLY WAS 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. THE WIND PICKED UP HIS AIRCRAFT TAIL AND THE LEFT WING AND ENGINE IMPACTED THE GROUND, CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE STOPPAGE OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A HELMET AND RESTRAINT HARNESS. HE WAS ABLE TO CLIMB FROM THE AIRPLANE AND AFTER DETERMINING THERE WAS NO FIRE HAZARD, HE CLIMBING INTO THE AIRPLANE TO GET A ROPE TO ATTEMPT TO TIE THE AIRPLANE DOWN SO THE WINDS WOULD NOT FLIP THE AIRPLANE OVER MORE. AFTER 20 MINUTES, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ONTO THE TOP, DAMAGING THE RIGHT STRUT, TAIL, AND PROPELLER.THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY A PASSING BOAT AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE KENAI FSS ONCE HE HAD GOOD CELL PHONE COVERAGE. THE PILOT IS WELL-TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED WITH LANDING ON A RIVER BED. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE GUST WINDS COULD NOT BE FORESEEN.PRE-MISSION PLANNING AND CONTACTING KENAI FSS BEFORE DEPARTING COULD HAVE PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT PILOT REPORTS IN THE RIVER AREA OR WIND VELOCITY TRENDING.RECOMMENDATIONS: RECOMMEND A 44709 EVALUATION VIA TABLE TOP IN LIEU OF A FLIGHT EVALUATION. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE INCIDENT DO NOT WARRANT A FLIGHT EVALUATION AS PROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND RISK ANALYSIS COULD HAVE PREVENT THE INCIDENT. ## Other reports on N7511H (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20180915013689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180915013689A), Sep 15, 2018: Piper PA-12 (N7511H), Healy, AK, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Aircraft departed fairbanks international airport (fai) on September 15, 2018 at 2040Z hours with two souls on board. Last contact by fai ATC was at 2104Z… - [Incident 20180716011369I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180716011369I), Jul 16, 2018: Piper PA-12 (N7511H), Fairbanks, AK, Minor damage. [privacy data omitted] Was doing practice "touch and go" landings on a sand bar along the tanana river. [privacy data omitted] Accomplished multiple touch and… 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.