Aviation Crash Map

Piper PA-12 N4040M

7 March 1999 · Big Lake, Alaska, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 7 March 1999 at about 19:40 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N4040M, operated by Mark Alger, was involved in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 19:40
Classification
Accident
Location
Big Lake, Alaska, United States
Coordinates
61.4596, -150.0901
Aircraft
Piper PA-12
Registration
N4040M
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Mark Alger
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Palmer → Palmer
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ANC99LA031

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
3 0 0 0 3

Probable cause

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing the wheel equipped airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the soft snow covering the frozen lake.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the wheel equipped airplane said he saw other airplanes landing on the surface of the frozen lake. He decided to land in the same area. The pilot said that during the landing roll the snow was initially hard packed as it had appeared from the air. The wheels then contacted soft snow, and the airplane nosed over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-12 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
24 Oct 1999 Piper PA-12
N7118H
Orange, Massachusetts, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
12 Jun 1999 Piper PA-12
N2699M
Panhandle, Texas, United States Rudy F. Robinson No injuries -
5 Jun 1999 Piper PA-12
N78456
Anchorage, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
19 Jul 1999 Piper PA-12
N3780M
Dillingham, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
2 Oct 1999 Piper PA-12
N2493M
Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States - No injuries -
2 Sep 1999 Piper PA-12
N91901
Neguanee, Michigan, United States - Fatal 1

All 813 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
2 May 1999 Piper PA-24-260
N8694P
Juneau, Alaska, United States - Fatal 2
24 May 1999 Stinson 108
N793C
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
no coordinates
Glenn A. Ferris Fatal 1
29 May 1999 De Havilland DHC 2 MK III
N30CC
Anchorage, Alaska, United States William A. Sego No injuries -
13 Mar 1999 Cessna 170B
N4387B
Palmer, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
30 May 1999 Piper PA-18
N8570C
Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States James T. Ables No injuries -
14 Mar 1999 Cessna 180G
N4721U
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States