# Accident 19900106000619A: Piper PA22150, Bettles, AK, January 6, 1990

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 6, 1990, 12:30 local time
- Place: Bettles, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 67.2396° N, 152.2708° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=67.2396&lon=-152.2708&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2728P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2728P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-150 (registry code 7102210, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA22150
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 166 total, 80 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC90LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC90LA024) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900106000619A

## Narrative

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

LOW OVER A RIDGE LINE IN SEVERE SURFACE WIND. CAUGHT A DOWNDRAFT. UNABLE TO RECOVER CRASHED ON TUNDRA.

## 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 ANC90LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC90LA024), Jan 6, 1990: Piper PA-22 (N2728P), Bettles, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, HIGH WIND, DOWNDRAFT, AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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.