N3263ZPiper PA-22-150 · 1960

On January 31, 2026, about 1921 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-22-150 airplane, N3263Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot was uninjured, and the passenger was transported to the hospital with potentially serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, earlier in the evening, he and the passenger departed Kenai Municipal Airport (ENA), Kenai, for a personal flight to Merrill Field Airport (MRI), Anchorage, with about 36 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel onboard. The flight to Anchorage was uneventful. After parking in the transient area, the pilot and passenger left for dinner and later returned to the airplane. The pilot conducted an engine run-up at transient parking and then taxied to Runway 34, where he was instructed to expect a Campbell Departure to the south.

Shortly after takeoff from Runway 34, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane in a right-banking turn back toward the runway environment, and the airplane impacted the airport ramp before coming to rest on Taxiway Alpha, about 950 ft northeast of the departure end of Runway 34.

Figure 1 Diagram of accident site with flightpath, airport, and weather data

The outboard right wing, beyond the lift strut, and right aileron exhibited spanwise deformation consistent with impact damage. The right main gear collapsed and folded backwards against the fuselage. The nose gear collapsed and folded laterally towards the left side of the fuselage. One propeller blade was curled backwards and had left witness marks on the left side of the cowling.

Figure 2 Accident airplane at accident site (NTSB Photo)

A security camera at the airport captured video and audio of the airplane’s taxi and takeoff roll. Shortly after the airplane exited the camera frame, the engine can be heard sputtering, followed by a loss of power. Engine power is then momentarily restored before the airplane impacts the ramp area.

An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Alaska Regional Office responded to the accident site and documented the airplane wreckage. During the on-scene examination, the investigator recovered a data card containing flightpath and engine monitoring data.

The wreckage will be recovered to a secure facility for further examination.