# Accident 19981203039789A: Piper PA31350, Point Lay, AK, December 3, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 3, 1998, 10:38 local time
- Place: Point Lay, AK
- Airport: Point Lay Lrrs Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: CSAA
- Location: 69.7299° N, 162.8196° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=69.7299&lon=-162.8196&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3542H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3542H-2001-09-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- Reported engine: LYC LTIO540J2BD
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,069 total, 311 in this make and model, 298 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA014) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981203039789A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON DECEMBER 3, 1998 A CAPE SMYTHE AIRCRAFT, N3542H, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING AN NDB RUNWAY 5 APPROACH INTO PT. LAY, ALASKA. THE PILOT, MR. MICHAEL DEDO, STATED HE HAD THE RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS IN SIGHT. DURING THE APPROACH MR. DEDO STATED HE HAD A 1 MILE VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW, WITH TURBULANCE, WIND SHEARS AND AN 800 FOOT CEILING. MR. DEDO STATED HE THOUGHT HE WAS ON THE PROPER GLIDE PATH. POINT LAY DOES NOT HAVE ANY TYPE OF VISUAL GLIDE PATH INDICATORS, NOR ANY OTHER LIGHT SYSTEM OTHER THAN THE RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS, AND RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS.(.4) A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CIRCLE TO LAND AT THE COMPLETION OF AN NDB APPROACH. THE NIGHTTIME METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE AN 800 FEET CEILING, 1MILE VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW, AND 26 KNOT WINDS. THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN WAS ESSENTIALLY FLAT, SNOW COVERED, AND FEATURELESS. THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL APPROACH MISALIGNED OFR THE RUNWAY, AND THEN DISAPPEAR BELOW AN 18 FEET MSL BLUFF. HE TRANSMITTED ON THE RADIO TO `GET OUT OF THERE,' AND HEARD NO RESPONSE. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER THE ACCIDENT PILOT WALKED UP TO THE WITNESS' AIRPLANE. THE PILOT TOLD THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT HE WAS   `BEAT AROUND BY THE WINDS, ...IT WAS SNOWING PRETTY HARD, I ALWAYS HAD THE LIGHTS, AND I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE RUNWAY. THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS ON THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.' THE PILOT'S PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE TO THIS AIRPORT WAS DURING DAYTIME, AND DURING VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRPORT, WHICH WAS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM THE AIR FORCE TO THE NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH, HAS MEDIUM INTENSITY RUNWAY LIGHTS (MIRL), AND RUNWAY AND IDENTIFIER LIGHTS (REILS). IT DOES NOT HAVE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR (VASI) LIGHTS.

## 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 ANC99LA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA014), Dec 3, 1998: Piper PA-31 (N3542H), Point Lay, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the pilot to maintain a proper glidepath. Factors associated with this accident were the airport not having a VASI system installed, and the lack of visual perception for the pilot.

## Other reports on N3542H (3)

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

- [Incident 19970316003159I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970316003159I), Mar 16, 1997: Piper PA31350 (N3542H), Kotzebue, AK, Minor damage. Narrative: aircraft was enroute from kiana, Alaska to kotzeboe, Alaska. After encountering turbulence the landing gear unsafe light came on. The pilot slowed…
- [Incident 19911203059559I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911203059559I), Dec 3, 1991: Piper PA31350 (N3542H), Nome, AK, Minor damage. NR5 cylinder separated from engine on descent. Landed safely.
- [Incident 19791217046459I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791217046459I), Dec 17, 1979: Piper PA31350 (N3542H), Salt Lake City, UT. Pilot's door came open in flight due to faulty latches. Pilot landed, latched it, took off.

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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