- Date
- September 14, 1983, 18:40 local (Sep 15, 1983, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2430MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830914068169A
- Case key
- 4173
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
The acft collided with a ridgeline when the pilot attempted to fly through a pass. The pass was crested at about 3600 ftsurrounded by elevations of over 8000 ft MSL. The pilot stated that he was attempting to get through merrill pass because of hunters that had been stranded at tundra lake. The pilot said he left food for them and was going to contact the air taxi operator who had brought the hunters there and was supposed to have returned for them. As the pilot of the accident acft reached merrill pass he said the fog rolled in fast and a downdraft prevented him from cresting the top.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2430M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1664
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Werner G. Roth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1983 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 12AK · Lime Village, AK
- Destination
- EDF · Elmendorf Afb, AK
- Airport
- ENA · Kenai
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 350 in this make and model · 375 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.