Probable cause
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions.
NTSB analysis
The pilot said that, during a visual flight to a remote hunting camp, he encountered an area of fog. He said that he was flying close to a ridge and trying to maintain visual reference when the right wing struck the ridge slope. The airplane turned toward the terrain and impacted the ground, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC11CA092 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 4, 2011
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Deadhorse, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-18-150
- N-number
- N83283
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.