# Accident 19891222052869A: Piper PA31T3, Beluga, AK, December 22, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 22, 1989, 18:10 local time
- Place: Beluga, AK
- Airport: Beluga
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: SOCA
- Location: 61.2603° N, 151.2034° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about 2 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2603&lon=-151.2034&mi=10
- Aircraft: N302SC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N302SC-1991-06-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31T3 (registry code 7103128, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31T3
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A11
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 2,500 total, 40 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC90FA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC90FA021) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19891222052869A

## Narrative

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

DESCENDED INTO TREES APPROACHING NON CONTROLLED IFR AIRPORT. DESCENDED BELOW MOCA IN SNOW FOG AND LOW CEILING.

## 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 ANC90FA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC90FA021), Dec 22, 1989: Piper PA-31 (N302SC), Beluga, AK, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. DARKNESS AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.

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.

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