- Date
- June 13, 2025, 16:15 local (Jun 14, 2025, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3846MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: 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
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250613006209A
- Case key
- 200321
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 failure to maintain clearance from trees during a go-around with a tailwind.
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
While attempting to land on a short turf-covered airstrip, the pilot reported attempting a go-around. He applied full throttle and began a climbing left turn, but the airplane was unable to gain enough altitude to clear the trees off the departure end of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and came to rest nose down, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, and fuselage. The pilot reported that, during the final approach, the winds were variable between a left crosswind and a tailwind. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3846M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2757
- Airframe hours
- 4,249.3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2025 · 24.19 hours before
- Departed
- 95Z · North Pole, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NONE · Private Strip, runway 14/32, 550 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 41
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 126 total · 126 in this make and model · 90 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFB, 15 nm away
- METAR
- PAFB 131155Z 12003KT 10SM SCT140 SCT200 12/03 A2997 RMK AO2A SLP154 T01180025 10240 20110 53004 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 11, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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 N3846M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.