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ANC11CA097

2011-09-04 · Anchorage, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PAMR

Current FAA registration · N3654M

Make / Model
PIPER PA-12
Year of manufacture
1947 · 64 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
3 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560310
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A421CF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's misidentification of the runway environment in dusk light conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot was landing at an unlighted, gravel runway, at dusk, when he inadvertently touched down in a grass-covered drainage ditch, which was right of the gravel runway. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a drainage culvert, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot noted in his written statement to the NTSB that he was unable to discern the difference between the gravel runway and grass-covered terrain due to the low-light conditions, and he mistakenly selected the grass-covered ditch. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot was attempting to land on an unlighted, gravel runway, at dusk, when he inadvertently touched down in a grass-covered drainage ditch, which was right of the gravel runway. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a drainage culvert, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot noted in his written statement to the NTSB that he was unable to discern the difference between the gravel runway and grass-covered terrain due to the low-light conditions, and he mistakenly selected the grass-covered ditch. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Low light-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_ANC11CA097.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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