- Date
- June 6, 2020, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3824MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20200606007879A
- Case key
- 101414
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s improper decision to load the airplane beyond its allowable gross weight limits, which resulted in an impact with a tree and collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was departing in his float-equipped three-seat airplane with four souls onboard. After departure and during the initial climb the airplane’s right wing impacted a tree, the airplane rotated 180° and impacted terrain sustaining substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, fuselage and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In a conversation with the NTSB IIC shortly after the accident, the pilot provided weights that equated to a gross weight at the time of the accident of about 2011 pounds or 173 pounds over its approved maximum takeoff gross weight limit. In the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1 the pilot reported that the gross weight at the time of the accident was 1845 pounds or 7 pounds over its maximum takeoff gross weight limit. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had taken a lighter load or less fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3824M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2744
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2020
- Airport
- 4AK6 · Wolf Lake
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 3,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 2975.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3824M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.