Piper PA-12 N7542H

Summary

On 13 August 1989 at about 08:00 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N7542H, operated by Jaros, Martin R., was involved in an accident near Windy Fork, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 August 1989 at 08:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Windy Fork, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-12

Registration

N7542H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jaros, Martin R.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

ANC89FA144

2 people died.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.