Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

June 21, 2009 · Beech V35A · N7062N

Northway, AK

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
June 21, 2009
Injury Outcomes
2 injuries (2 fatalities)
Location
Northway, AK
Aircraft
Beech V35A
Tail Number
N7062N
Operator
Patigler Gerhard
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ANC09FAMS1

The private pilot and sole passenger were on an international cross-country flight from Alaska to Indiana, transiting Canada. An international flight plan was filed, and when they failed to arrive at their intermediate stop in Canada, a search was initiated. An extensive search in Alaska and Canada failed to find any sign of the airplane. Search efforts were hampered by marginal visual meteorological and instrument flight conditions along the route of flight. The airplane is missing and presumed to have crashed. The pilot and passenger have not been located.

NTSB Probable Cause

Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C

Full Narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 20, 2009, about 1600 Alaska daylight time a Beech V35A airplane, N7062N, departed Wolf Lake Airport, about 6 miles west of Palmer, Alaska, on a visual flight rules (VFR) international cross-country flight to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, with an ultimate destination of Bettendorf, Indiana. When the airplane did not arrive in Whitehorse as scheduled, a search was initiated in both the United States and Canada, and an alert notice was issued for an overdue/missing airplane by the FAA. Cell phone records indicate the airplane may have traveled as far as Northway, Alaska near the Canadian border, before the signal was lost. The airplane reportedly was equipped with a 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT), and not the newer generation 406 MHz ELT. The 121.5 MHz ELT's are no longer capable of being received by search and rescue satellites, whereas the 406 MHz ELT's are. On Friday July 17, 2009, all official active searching for the missing airplane was suspended. No evidence of the missing airplane was found. The airplane is presumed to have crashed, and the pilot and sole passenger have not been located. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 68-year old pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His last third-class medical certificate was issued on November 1, 2007. No personal flight records were located for the pilot, and the aeronautical experience listed in this report was obtained from FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. On the pilot's application for medical certificate, dated November 1, 2007, he indicated that his total aeronautical experience was 1,850 flight hours, of which 100 flight hours were in the previous 6 months. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was 1967 Beech V35A single-engine airplane. No airplane logbooks were discovered for examination. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest weather reporting facility to the last suspected position of the airplane was at Eureka, Alaska. At 2136, the automated weather reporting station reported, in part: Wind, calm; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 4100 feet overcast; temperature, 07 degrees C; dew point, 01 degrees C; altimeter, 29.70 inHg. COMMUNICATIONS The last known communications was at 1606, when the pilot opened his flight plan with the Palmer FAA Flight Service Station. Estimated time en route was three and one-half hours. No emergency transmitter locator (ELT) signal was received by search personnel. SEARCH AND RESCUE / SURVIVAL ASPECTS The pilot had filed an international flight plan. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Anchorage, Alaska, and the Alaska State Troopers, conducted extensive air, and ground searches along the United States portions of the flight. The official search was suspended on July 17, 2009. The Canadian authorities searched the Canadian portions of the route from the Alaska border to the destination. Throughout the search, marginal VFR and instrument flight conditions hampered search efforts. No sign of the airplane and its occupants were discovered. Family members and volunteers continued to search for the missing airplane with no results.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time21:00 AKDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledVFR
Flight Plan ActivatedYes
Aircraft FireUnknown
Aircraft ExplosionUnknown

Aircraft

AircraftBeech V35A
Tail NumberN7062N
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorPatigler Gerhard
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsCont Motor · IO 520 SERIES · Reciprocating · 285
Seats6

People & Injuries

Injury Summary2 injuries (2 fatalities)
Fatal2
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total2
Crew 1Age 68 · Third Class · Fatal

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility10 sm
CeilingOvercast 4100 ft
Temperature / Dew Point45 C / 34 C
Altimeter29.70 inHg
Observation Time00:36
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data