- Date
- September 16, 2025, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kotlik, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3816MPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 201068
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 airplane control during a go-around in variable wind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, while landing on a remote ridgetop in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, the wind unexpectedly shifted. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, he lost control of the airplane. The airplane impacted terrain and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3816M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2737
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,842
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 2025 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- KSM · St. Mary's, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NONE · Ridge
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Military, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,700 total · 242 in this make and model · 2,132 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- PFKO
- METAR
- PFKO 162156Z AUTO 03013KT 10SM OVC070 09/04 RMK AO2 SLPNO T00890044 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.