# Accident 19991028032129A: Piper PA32300, Russian Mission, AK, October 28, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 28, 1999, 15:00 local time - Place: Russian Mission, AK - Airport: Russian Mission Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: BTHA - Location: 61.8102° N, 161.4401° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.8102&lon=-161.4401&mi=10 - Aircraft: N31606, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N31606-2021-07-03) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (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 IO540K1A5 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,335 total, 2,900 in this make and model, 304 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC00LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00LA009) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991028032129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON OCTOBER 28, 1999, ABOUT 1500 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-32-300 AIRPLANE, N31606, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING AT THE RUSSIAN MISSION AIRPORT, RUSSIAN MISSION, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SCHEDULED FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR, PART 135 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY BIDZY TA HOT AANA INC., DOING BUSINESS AS TANANA AIR SERVICE, FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, AS FLIGHT 2250X. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE ANIAK AIRPORT, ANIAK, ALASKA, ABOUT 1430. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON OCTOBER 29, 1999, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE COMPANY REPORTED THE PILOT WAS FLYING AN EXTRA SECTION TO FLIGHT 2250, AND WAS CARRYING U.S. MAIL. THE PILOT WAS IN THE FINAL APPROACH PHASE FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 35 AT RUSSIAN MISSION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE APPEARED TO BE SLOW AND ADDED POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE STALLED ABOUT 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A BERM AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED, AND FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FLEW TO RUSSIAN MISSION. HE SAID THAT HE ENCOUNTERED ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS WHILE EN ROUTE. WHEN HE EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, HE SAID HE NOTICED A TRACE OF ICE ON THE AIRPLANE ELEVATOR. (-23) ON OCTOBER 29, 1999, ABOUT 1510 HOURS, A TANANA AIR SERVICE PA-32-200 AIRPLANE, N31606, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A NORMAL APPROACH INTO RUSSIAN MISSION, ALASKA, RUNWAY 35. PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AT ABOUT 20 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD, A GUST OF WIND FUNNELING DOWN FROM THE HILL TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 35 PUSHED HIM DOWN. PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST FINISHED HIS FINAL GUMPS CHECK AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL WHEN SUDDENLY THE AIRCRAFT FELL OUT FROM UNDER HIM. PILOT STATED THAT THE ELT WAS NOT ACTIVATED ON IMPACT AND THAT HE WAS NOT HURT. (.4) THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SCHEDULED FLIGHT TO A REMOTE VILLAGE. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE COMPANY SAID THAT DURING THE FINAL APPROACH PHASE FOR LANDING, THE PILOT REPORTED HE APPEARED TO BE SLOW AND ADDED POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE STALLED ABOUT 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A BERM AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AXLE WAS FRACTURED. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED, AND FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE COMPANY FLEW TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. HE SAID THAT HE ENCOUNTERED ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS WHILE EN ROUTE. WHEN HE EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, HE SAID HE NOTICED A TRACE OF ICE ON THE AIRPLANE ELEVATOR. IN THE PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) SUBMITTED BY THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE FLEW THROUGH A LARGE SHOWER AND COLLECTED ICE ON THE AIRPLANE. ON THE APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT INDICATED HIS AIRSPEED WAS 70 KNOTS, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY UNTIL IT SUDDENLY LOST ALTITUDE. ## 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 ANC00LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00LA009), Oct 28, 1999: Piper PA-32-300 (N31606), Russian Mission, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather, and an inadvertent stall. Factors in the accident were adverse weather consisting of icing conditions, and airframe icing. 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.