- Date
- April 5, 1997, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kotzebue, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N112PAPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970405004869A
- Case key
- 2983
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for taxi and takeoff. Soft/snow covered terrain was a related 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 pilot landed in a remote area with a ski equipped airplane. He planned to transport an injured person and another passenger to an airport. The pilot began to taxi across a frozen and snow covered river to begin the takeoff roll. While taxiing, the right ski broke through a layer of soft ice, and the pilot applied engine power to exit the hole. The right main landing gear failed at the fuselage attach point.
Factual narrative
On April 5, 1997, about 1500 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Piper PA-12, N112PA, encountered soft terrain while taxiing for takeoff, about 20 miles north of Kotzebue, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, and two passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
On April 5, 1997, about 1830, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), that he was a volunteer pilot supporting a snow machine race. He landed to pick up an injured driver to transport him, and another passenger, to Kotzebue. While taxiing for takeoff, the right ski broke through a layer of soft ice, and he applied engine power to exit the hole. The right main landing gear was broken at the fuselage attach point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N112PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2158
- Airframe hours
- 2,934
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul J. Buckle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1996 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- OTZ
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 548 total · 156 in this make and model · 424 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.