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20001222024749A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Kavik River, AK · December 22, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 22, 2000 · 14:15 local
Place
Kavik River, AK
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
HYTA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N63MB
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC01LA027
Reported as
Piper PA31350
Fatal injuries
0
N63MBRegistration cancelled Jun 20, 2002 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-7852117 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On December 22, 2000 the pilot was attempting to land the chartered PA-31 at the Kavik River air strip with two passengers on board. The pilot said he overflew the air strip at about 1700 feet MSL in preparation for landing. He said the north slope tundra surrounding the strip was white and it was pretty dark when he arrived. After overflying the strip he began his descent to the west north west where he believed there weren't any hills. He continued his descent during the downwind leg. The pilot configured the a/c with gear down and 130 knots and began his base leg. At some point shortly thereafter, the pilot said he realized he had flown into IFR conditions because he could see the snow in the wing tip strobe lights. He believes he pushed the throttles forward and started pitching the nose up at the same time the left wing tip struck the ground. The left wing was torn from the airframe. The rest of the a/c came to rest in the snow, at an approximate elevation of 700 ft., approx. 4.8 miles from the camp.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 22, 2000 THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND THE CHARTERED PA-31 AT THE KAVIK RIVER AIR STRIP WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE PILOT SAID HE OVERFLEW THE AIR STRIP AT ABOUT 1700 FEET MSL IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING. HE SAID THE NORTH SLOPE TUNDRA SURROUNDING THE STRIP WAS WHITE AND IT WAS PRETTY DARK WHEN HE ARRIVED. AFTER OVERFLYING THE STRIP HE BEGAN HIS DESCENT TO THE WEST NORTH WEST WHERE HE BELIEVED THERE WEREN'T ANY HILLS. HE CONTINUED HIS DESCENT DURING THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE A/C WITH GEAR DOWN AND 130 KNOTS AND BEGAN HIS BASE LEG. AT SOME POINT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT SAID HE REALIZED HE HAD FLOWN INTO IFR CONDITIONS BECAUSE HE COULD SEE THE SNOW IN THE WING TIP STROBE LIGHTS. HE BELIEVES HE PUSHED THE THROTTLES FORWARD AND STARTED PITCHING THE NOSE UP AT THE SAME TIME THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THE LEFT WING WAS TORN FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE REST OF THE A/C CAME TO REST IN THE SNOW, AT AN APPROXIMATE ELEVATION OF 700 FT., APPROX. 4.8 MILES FROM THE CAMP.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC01LA027Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDeadhorse, AKThe pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors associated with the accident were clouds, fog, dusk light conditions, and the pilot's self-induced pressure to complete the flight prior to nightfall.Dec 22, 2000 · Substantial damage