- Date
- May 20, 1983, 18:00 local (May 21, 1983, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Aniak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2725MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830520022989A
- Case key
- 4115
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the plt, he was taking off downslope & downwind on bumpy muskeg/tundra with full flaps. At aprx 40 to 45 mph, the acft lifted off before reaching the edge of a deep ravine. He began a shallow left turn, then the left wing struck a tree which spun the acft around about 180 deg from the original heading. After reversing its heading, it was about 200 ft above the terrain in the ravine. The plt lowered the nose, with full throttle applied, & just before impact was able to raise the nose to a level attitude. The plt stated that he did not see the tree & reported there were no preimpact/mechanical irregularities. It was noted that the acft was equipped with non-standard automobile racing slicks (wheels) that were aprx 33 inches in diameter. The wind was reported from 180 deg at 5 gusting 10 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2725M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1135
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stephan L. Hill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ANT · Aniak, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- NONE, runway 8
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Center
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.