Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Sunday, August 20, 1995 18:45 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT TO PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS IN THE AREA OF A 4,200 FOOT HIGH MOUNTAIN. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT RETURN AND AN AERIAL SEARCH WAS INITIATED. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, A WITNESS IN AN AIRPLANE FLYING IN THE AREA, REPORTED TO SEARCH PERSONNEL THAT SHE OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE CREST THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND DESCEND DOWNSLOPE OUT OF VIEW, FOLLOWED BY A CLOUD OF DUST. SEARCH PERSONNEL REPORTED ONLY FINDING MISCELLANEOUS DEBRIS. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 4 WEEKS LATER NEAR THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN, PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY A POSTCRASH FIRE. IT WAS FOUND BY A PASSING HELICOPTER NESTLED IN A GREY AND BLACK COLORED ROCK OUTCROPPING. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ORIENTED ON AN EASTERLY HEADING AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 100 YARDS SOUTH OF A SMALL AIRSTRIP AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE AIRSTRIP IS ORIENTED ON A NORTH/SOUTH HEADING. ABOUT 27 MILES EAST AT ANCHORAGE, THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE FROM 250 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE OR ALTITUDE FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR AN AIRSTRIP.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/20/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1845 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | ANCHORAGE |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99501 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ANC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 144 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 90 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1390 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 22 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7262D |
| NTSB Number | ANC95FA169 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-18A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-5670 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHARD D. CRAWFORD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 16810 TIDEVIEW DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99516 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | Z41 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1640 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |