# Accident 19980224001729A: Piper PA32300, Kongiganak, AK, February 24, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 24, 1998, 11:00 local time
- Place: Kongiganak, AK
- Airport: Kongiganak Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: PNSA
- Location: 60.8097° N, 161.8506° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.8097&lon=-161.8506&mi=10
- Aircraft: N81844, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81844) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-301 (registry code 7103207, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-301) (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
- Reported engine: LYC IO540L1A5
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,950 total, 146 in this make and model, 146 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA025) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980224001729A

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: UPON APPROACHING THE THRESHOLD, HE FELT A SUDDEN DROP. INITIATING A GO-AROUND WITH FULL POWER, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO THE THRESHOLD AREA. HE FELT THE RIGHT SIDE GEAR COLLAPSE AND THE LEFT SIDE GEAR COLLAPSE AFTER SLIDING HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. (FROM .4) THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS LANDING ON A SNOW AND ICE COVERED RUNWAY. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW THE INTENDED GLIDE PATH AND STRUCK A SNOW BERM JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.  HE SAID THAT AS HE TURNED BASE TO FINAL, THE FAR END OF THE RUNWAY WAS OBSCURED.  AS HE APPROACHED THE THRESHOLD, HE FELT A SUDDEN DROP, AND HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE SETTLED ONTO THE THRESHOLD AREA.

## 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 ANC98LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA025), Feb 24, 1998: Piper PA-32-300 (N81844), Kongiganak, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot misjudged distance/altitude and airspeed, and his delay initiating a go-around. Related factors were the downdraft and snowbank.

## Other reports on N81844 (4)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20190726017339I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190726017339I), Jul 26, 2019: Piper PA-32-301 (N81844), Dillingham, AK, Minor damage. When on final approach right before touching down a down draft hit the right side of aircraft making the aircraft right side hit the runway hard. Pilot gave…
- [Incident 20080915846769I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080915846769I), Sep 15, 2008: Piper PA32301 (N81844), Pilot Point, AK, Minor damage. (-23) On September 16, 2008, commercial Pilot, [privacy data omitted] taxied a Piper, PA-32-301 airplane to an Alaska state owned building at Pilot Point,…
- [Accident 19990327017719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990327017719A), Mar 27, 1999: Piper PA32301 (N81844), Chefornak, AK, Substantial damage. On March 27, 1999, about 1010 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-32-301 airplane, N81844, sustained substantial damage while landing at the…
- [Incident 19950520031579I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950520031579I), May 20, 1995: Piper PA32301 (N81844), King Salmon, AK, Minor damage. Broke right main wheel axle landing on remote strip in severe crosswind.

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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