Piper PA 12 N3654M

Summary

On 14 March 2017 at about 03:40 local time, a Piper PA 12 registered N3654M was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. One person was 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.

Date

14 March 2017 at 03:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Merrill Field (MRI)

Coordinates

61.2128, -149.8450

Aircraft

Piper PA 12

Registration

N3654M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1947

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Talkeetna → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA188

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the taxi on skis on hard-packed snow in gusting wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the wheel/ski-equipped airplane reported that, after landing on skis and during the taxi on hard-packed snow, a wind gust pushed the airplane, and the left wing impacted a parked, unoccupied airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 13 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 360° at 12 knots, gusting to 20 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.