# Accident 19960901031189A: Piper PA32300, Haines, AK, September 1, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 1, 1996, 17:56 local time
- Place: Haines, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: LABA
- Location: 59.1601° N, 135.8606° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.1601&lon=-135.8606&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2181Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2181Z-2017-05-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 930 total, 239 in this make and model, 291 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC96FA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC96FA137) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960901031189A

## Narrative

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

(.4) THE AIR TAXI PILOT INITIATED FLIGHT OVER AN EXTENSIVE FIELD OF GLACIERS. THE PASSENGERS DESCRIBED A GRAY, OVERCAST SKY, WITH A SNOW FIELD BELOW AND SNOW ON THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS. THEY ESTIMATED THE CRUISE ALTITUDE WAS BETWEEN 100 AND 500 FEET ABOVE THE GLACIER. THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED A FOG BANK IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL; BEFORE REACHING THE FOG, THE PILOT ELECTED TO TURN AROUND. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AND COLLIDED WITH THE GLACIER. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING MECHANICAL ANOMALY WITH THE AIRPLANE.

## 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 ANC96FA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC96FA137), Sep 2, 1996: Piper PA-32 (N2181Z), Haines, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain, while maneuvering to reverse the direction of flight.…

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.