Piper PA 12 N3824M

Summary

On 6 June 2020 at about 21:45 local time, a Piper PA 12 registered N3824M was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska, United States. 4 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.

Date

6 June 2020 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmer, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Wolf Lake (4AK6)

Coordinates

61.9393, -149.2877

Aircraft

Piper PA 12

Registration

N3824M

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

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC20CA058

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to load the airplane beyond its allowable gross weight limits, which resulted in an impact with a tree and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was departing in his float-equipped three-seat airplane with four souls onboard. After departure and during the initial climb the airplane’s right wing impacted a tree, the airplane rotated 180° and impacted terrain sustaining substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, fuselage and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In a conversation with the NTSB IIC shortly after the accident, the pilot provided weights that equated to a gross weight at the time of the accident of about 2011 pounds or 173 pounds over its approved maximum takeoff gross weight limit. In the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1 the pilot reported that the gross weight at the time of the accident was 1845 pounds or 7 pounds over its maximum takeoff gross weight limit. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had taken a lighter load or less fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.