- Date
- August 13, 1989, 00:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- Windy Fork, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N7542HPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890813032069A
- Case key
- 5121
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed while operating to or from the gravel bar, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. The rising terrain was considered a contributing factor.
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 plt & pax departed on a sheep hunting trip on 8/5/89 & were expected to return by 8/19/89. When they were overdue, a search was initiated & the acft was found on 8/20/89, where it crashed into rising terrain near a gravel bar. There was evidence the acdnt may have occurred as the acft was being operd from the gravel bar. An exam revealed the acft had crashed in a steep, nose down attitude, consistent with a stall. No mechanical anomalies of the acft were found drg the investigation. On an application for the plt's last med cert, dated 12/16/88, he rprtd a total flt time of 270 hrs. Elev of the crash site was aprx 2800 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7542H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-408
- Airframe hours
- 2,574
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jaros, Martin R.
- Registered owner
- Jaros, Martin R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 1989 · 20 hours before
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 270 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.