# Accident 19971003029949A: Piper PA22160, Sterling, AK, October 3, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 3, 1997, 15:00 local time
- Place: Sterling, AK
- Airport: Skilak Lake
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 60.5394° N, 150.7903° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.5394&lon=-150.7903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8955D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8955D-2017-06-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-160 (registry code 7102214, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-160) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA22160
- Reported engine: LYC O320B2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98LA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA001) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971003029949A

## Narrative

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

FLOAT EQUIPPED PA12 FOUND FLOATING UP SIDE DOWN IN LAKE. PILOT NOT FOUND IN DEEP LAKE.  SEEN PATCHING A FLOAT PRIOR.  (FROM .4)  THE PILOT MAINTAINED A RESIDENCE ON A SMALL ISLAND IN A REMOTE LAKE WHERE HE KEPT A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. NEIGHBORS OBSERVED THE PILOT REPAIRING A HOLE IN ONE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FLOATS.  THE NEIGHBORS HEARD AN AIRPLANE ENGINE START UP ABOUT 1500.  THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT OBSERVED.  ABOUT 1720, AN AIRPLANE OVER-FLYING THE LAKE, OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED.  IT WAS FLOATING UPSIDE DOWN, ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE PILOT'S RESIDENCE.  SEARCH PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO THE AIRPLANE AND UPON ARRIVAL, JOINED SEVERAL OF THE PILOT'S NEIGHBORS AT THE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED AIRPLANE.  RESCUE DIVERS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE AIRPLANE WAS OCCUPIED BEFORE IT SANK IN 139 FEET OF WATER.  THE PILOT IS MISSING AND PRESUMED TO BE FATALLY INJURED.

## 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 ANC98LA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA001), Oct 3, 1997: Piper PA-22-160 (N8955D), Sterling, AK, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: Undetermined.

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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