19980917024889A

Bering air taxi crashed on landing and sustianed unknown damage. (-23)pilot in command flew from kotzebue to selawik, kiana and failed to lower the landing gear in Noorvik. Pilot is being uncooperative at this time. (.19)on September 17, 1998, about 1110 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350 airplane, N4112D, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Robert Curtis memorial airport, Noorvik, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled domestic passenger flight under title 14 CFR part 135 when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by bering air inc., nome, Alaska. The certificated airline transport pilot, and the three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the ralph wien memorial airport, kotzebue, Alaska, about 1000. The operator reported the airplane, operated as flight 622, was landing on runway 02 at Noorvik. The gravel surface runway is 2,200 feet long, and 50 feet. The pilot touched down on the runway with the flaps extended, but the landing gear was still retracted. A federal aviation administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, fairbanks flight standards district office (FSDO), inspected the airplane at the operator's maintenance facility in nome, on September 28, 1998. The inspection revealed extensive damage to the airplane skin and fuselage stringers, in an area from the nose wheel gear doors to the lower wing spar fitting. (.4) the certificated airline transport pilot was landing on a gravel runway during a scheduled air taxi flight. The pilot touched down on the runway with the flaps extended, but the landing gear was still retracted. The airplane received extensive damage to the airplane skin and fuselage stringers, in an area from the nose wheel gear doors to the lower wing spar fitting.