# Accident 20000221005809A: Piper PA31T3, Kotzebue, AK, February 21, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 21, 2000, 11:23 local time
- Place: Kotzebue, AK
- Airport: Ralph Wien Memorial
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: CSAA
- Location: 67.2408° N, 161.1897° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=67.2408&lon=-161.1897&mi=10
- Aircraft: N219CS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N219CS-2013-02-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31T3 (registry code 7103128, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31T3
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A11
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 13,500 total, 4,900 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC00LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00LA029) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000221005809A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 02-21-2000, N219CS, A PA-31-3T PILOTED BY^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^WAS FLYING THE GPS RUNWAY 8 APPROACH TO KOTEBUE, ALASKA. HE STATED THE APPROACH 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AT 9500 FEET.  HE STARTED A DECENT OF 1500 FEET PER MINUTE TO THE FINAL APPROACH SEGMENT.  HE WAS MONITORING BOTH THE FLIGHT SERVICE FREQUENCY AND AWOS.  HE REPORTED 10 MILES OUT DISENGAGED THE AUTO PILOT TO BRING IN MORE COURSE CORRECTION.  HE WAS INSIDE THE FINAL APPROACH FIX WHEN HE DECIDED TO TUNE IN THE ILS LOCALIZER AS A BACK UP.  AT THE SAME TIME CHECKING THE AWOS ONE MORE TIME.  SHORTLY AFTER HE IMPACTED THE GROUND, TWICE, THEN TO A STOP EXACTLY 3 MILES (STATUE) FROM THE RUNWAY.(.4)THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH FROZEN PACK ICE, THREE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, DURING A GPS INSTRUMENT APPROACH.  INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS OF 3/4 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND FOG WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BEGAN A STEEP DESCENT WITH THE AUTOPILOT ENGAGED.  HE INDICATED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, THE AUTOPILOT TURNED THE AIRPLANE INBOUND TOWARD THE AIRPORT.  HE CONTINUED THE STEEP DESCENT, NOTED THE AIRPLANE HAD OVERSHOT THE COURSE, AND THE AUTOPILOT WAS N OT CORRECTING VERY WELL. HE DISENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND MANUALLY INCREASED THE CORRECTION HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. DURING THE DESCENT HE COMPLETED THE LANDING CHECKLIST, EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS, AND WAS TUNING BOTH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND NAVIGATION RADIOS. THE PILOT SAID HE LOOKED UP FROM TUNING THE RADIOS TO SEE THE SEA ICE COMING UP TOO QUICKLY TO REACT, AND IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE PILOT RELAYED THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND THAT HE 'DID NOT STAY AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE.'

## 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 ANC00LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00LA029), Feb 21, 2000: Piper PA-31-T3 (N219CS), Kotzebue, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot descended below the minimum descent altitude. Factors associated with this accident were the task overload of the pilot during the instrument approach, and not performing a level off.

## Other reports on N219CS (1)

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

- [Incident 19971016038279I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971016038279I), Oct 16, 1997: Piper PA31T3 (N219CS), Barrow, AK, Substantial damage. Narrative: pilot, viktor a zorov was performing start up and repositioning procedure with a pa 31T3-1040 #N219CS and taxied into a BE-99. Also owned and…

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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