PIPER PA-12 — Arctic Village , AK

What happened

The pilot was returning from a solo hunting trip when the accident occurred. There were no reported distress calls or radio communications from the pilot. The next day a pilot who was overflying the area spotted the airplane wreckage about 2 nautical miles (nm) west of a gravel airstrip. A review of the data from the accident pilot’s GPS revealed that the airplane departed the gravel strip to the south and then made a right turn into a mountain valley. The flight track continued west up the valley about 300 to 400 ft above ground level (agl) for about 2 nm, then made a sharp left turn and descended to the ground.

The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude and came to rest upright. The forward fuselage and cockpit area were crushed upward and aft. Flight control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surfaces, through a few impact separations, to the cockpit controls. The flaps were partially extended. The pitch trim jackscrew was found in a full nose-up position. The propeller damage signatures were indicative of the engine operating at the time of impact. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine data monitor data indicated the engine was operating normally with no anomalies noted.

A postaccident weight calculation, including fuel, revealed the airplane was about 61 lbs over its maximum gross weight. The airplane's center of gravity could not be calculated since the exact location/station of the cargo could not be determined.

The pilot who discovered the wreckage stated that, on the afternoon of the accident, there was significant wind shear in the area with sustained wind at least 20 kts and gusting to at least 30 kts. He stated that the wind gusts were violent, which made him park his airplane on an airstrip about 15 miles east of the gravel airstrip and wait for the wind to subside. He added that another pilot who flew northbound over the gravel strip a few hours after the accident time reported that the wind conditions were very turbulent.

The circumstances of the accident were consistent with the pilot’s loss of control shortly after taking off into reported high gusting wind.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.