# Accident 19890607014539A: Piper PA32300, Skagway, AK, June 7, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 7, 1989, 20:46 local time
- Place: Skagway, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: FYOA
- Location: 59.5700° N, 135.3492° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.5700&lon=-135.3492&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7994F, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7994F-1991-03-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1A5
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 640 total, 70 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA89LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA89LA105) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890607014539A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT WHILE TRYING TO FLY OVER A PASS. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE LANDED IN A SNOW FIELD.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA89LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA89LA105), Jun 8, 1989: Piper PA-32-300 (N7994F), Skagway, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE PROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING TO IDENTIFY WIND CONDITIONS (DOWNDRAFTS) DURING THE FLIGHT. AS A RESULT, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.