# Incident 20251019015099I: Piper PA-12, Denali, AK, October 19, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 19, 2025, 16:00 local time
- Place: Denali, AK
- Airport: Off Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 63.1786° N, 147.4661° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Denali, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.1786&lon=-147.4661&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4355M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4355M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-12
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 4,100 total, 390 in this make and model, 127 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251019015099I

## Narrative

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

ON 10/19/2025 THE INCIDENT PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED FROM THE ANCHORAGE AREA AND FLEW NORTH TO RUTH GLACIER.  AFTER CONDUCTING A FLIGHT OVER THE GLACIER THE INCIDENT PILOT WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO LAND AT A SMALL GRAVEL STRIP SOUTH OF THE GLACIER.  THE PILOT PERFORMED A FLYOVER OF THE STIP, MADE A DECISION TO LAND AND TOUCHED DOWN ON A LIGHTLY SNOW-COVERED PORTION OF STRIP.  DURING THE DECELERATION AFTER TOUCH DOWN THE PILOT NOTED THAT WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO HIS DOUBLE PUCK BRAKES, THE STRIP CHANGED FROM LIGHTLY DUSTED TO SOLID GRAVEL AT WHICH POINT THE AIRCRAFT TIRES GRABBED AND PLANE NOSED OVER ON THE PROPELLER.  BOTH BLADES EXHIBITED IMPACT AND ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEFT UP ON THE STRIP AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE PICKED UP.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED BY ALPHA AVIATION LLC LOCATED ON MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

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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