Piper PA-18 N3421P

Summary

On 10 September 1983 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N3421P was involved in an accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 September 1983 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

67.2404, -161.1899

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N3421P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC83FA167

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & HIS WIFE HAD FLOWN TO AN AREA WHERE SHE HAD SEEN A CARIBOU THAT SHE WANTED TO SHOOT. AFTER LANDING ON A GRAVEL BAR, SHE SHOT THE CARIBOU, BUT THEN COMPLAINED OF A BAD HEADACHE & VISION PROBLEMS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THEY LOADED THE MEAT & HORNS IN THE ACFT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, HIS WIFE'S HEADACHE HAD GOTTEN WORSE. HE THOUGHT THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT APRX 20 FT AGL, HIS WIFE MADE AN UNUSUAL SOUND & HE FELT A STRONG FORCE ON THE RIGHT RUDDER. (LATER, HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT SHE HAD A SEIZURE.) REPORTEDLY, HE SHOUTED FOR HER TO GET OFF OF THE CONTROLS, THEN FELT A LOSS OF LIFT & WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE RUDDER FORCE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ON A RIVER BANK. HIS WIFE RECEIVED A HEAD INJURY & WAS FATALLY INJURED. AN AUTOPSY OF THE PLT'S WIFE DID NOT VERIFY THAT SHE HAD A SEIZURE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.