# Accident 19970407005199A: Piper PA31T3, Stebbins, AK, April 7, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 7, 1997, 15:06 local time
- Place: Stebbins, AK
- Airport: Stebbins Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: CSAA
- Location: 63.4695° N, 162.2792° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.4695&lon=-162.2792&mi=10
- Aircraft: N218CS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N218CS-1999-02-17) (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: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,630 total, 2,495 in this make and model, 241 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC97LA048](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA048) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970407005199A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT HIT SNOW BERM ON LANDING. (.4)THE PILOT WAS LANDING AT A REMOTE VILLAGE SITE.  REPORTED WEATHER WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/8 OF A MILE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE PILOT ESTIMATED THE IN-FLIGHT VISIBILITY AS 1.5 MILES, AND SAID ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE RUNWAY WAS SHROUDED IN FOG AND MIST, HE COULD SEE THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 05.  WHILE ON A BASE LEG TO RUNWAY 05, HE SAID HE WAS IN TOO CLOSE TO THE RUNWAY, AND ELECTED TO DO A TIGHT 'S' TURN TO GAIN ADDITIONAL SPACING. AS HE TURNED TO FINAL, HE REDUCED ENGINE POWER TO IDLE.  HE SUBSEQUENTLY REALIZED HE WAS TOO LOW AND TOO SLOW, HEARD THE STALL WARNING HORN, AND QUICKLY ADDED FULL POWER. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, AND STRUCK THE RUNWAY WITH THE RIGHT WING.

## 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 ANC97LA048](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA048), Apr 7, 1997: Piper PA-31-T3 (N218CS), Stebbins, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to continue VFR into IMC. Factors associated with the accident are fog/obscuration, and the pilot's failure to initiate a go-around earlier in the approach.

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.