What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 15, 2002, about 0820 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-32 airplane, N30004, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with trees and terrain, about five miles northeast of the Haines airport, Haines 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 operated as flight 1894 by skagway air services inc., skagway, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the Haines airport, but low cloud conditions prevailed along the route of flight. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the skagway airport, about 0810. The director of operations for the operator reported the flight was scheduled to depart skagway for Haines, where the pilot was to pick up two passengers for a continuing flight to juneau, Alaska. The director of operations said the pilot delayed his departure for about 10 minutes while he waited for weather conditions along the route to Haines to improve. The route of flight was intended to be along the east shoreline of the taiya inlet. After departure, the pilot reported via radio that he was at paradise valley, a visual reporting point about five miles south of skagway. The airplane did not arrive in Haines, and no further communication was received from the accident airplane. When the accident did not arrive in Haines, the director of operations began an aerial search in a fixed-wing airplane along the route of flight, but was unable to visually locate any wreckage. He notified search personnel of the missing airplane, and continued an aerial search in a helicopter. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received in the area of Haines. The director of operations located the airplane wreckage at 1030, about 150 feet above the waters of the chilkoot inlet, in an area of steep forested terrain. The closest official weather observation station is Haines, Alaska. At 0821, an automated weather observation system (AWOS) was reporting in part: wind, 280 degrees (true) at 4 knots; visibility, 4 statute miles in light freezing rain and mist; clouds and sky condition, 800 feet overcast; temperature, 32 degrees f; dew point, 31 degrees f; altimeter, 30.35 in hg; remarks, freezing rain beganat 0821, snow began at 0755. (-23) pilot departed skagway for Haines empty. Departure was delayed 15 minutes due to freezing rain and poor visibility in Haines. Weather in skagway was 6000CEILING, viz 10MI. Aircraft became over due and a search was initiated. Aircraft found on mountainside at 200 ft. level 6 mi. North of Haines (hns and sgy are 12 miles apart). Aircraft destroyed, pilot (sole occupant) killed. Investigation revealed no mechanical malfunctions.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 15, 2002, ABOUT 0820 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32 AIRPLANE, N30004, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND TERRAIN, ABOUT FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF THE HAINES AIRPORT, HAINES 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 OPERATED AS FLIGHT 1894 BY SKAGWAY AIR SERVICES INC., SKAGWAY, ALASKA. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE HAINES AIRPORT, BUT LOW CLOUD CONDITIONS PREVAILED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SKAGWAY AIRPORT, ABOUT 0810. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE OPERATOR REPORTED THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART SKAGWAY FOR HAINES, WHERE THE PILOT WAS TO PICK UP TWO PASSENGERS FOR A CONTINUING FLIGHT TO JUNEAU, ALASKA. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS SAID THE PILOT DELAYED HIS DEPARTURE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHILE HE WAITED FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE TO HAINES TO IMPROVE. THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS INTENDED TO BE ALONG THE EAST SHORELINE OF THE TAIYA INLET. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT REPORTED VIA RADIO THAT HE WAS AT PARADISE VALLEY, A VISUAL REPORTING POINT ABOUT FIVE MILES SOUTH OF SKAGWAY. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT ARRIVE IN HAINES, AND NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. WHEN THE ACCIDENT DID NOT ARRIVE IN HAINES, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS BEGAN AN AERIAL SEARCH IN A FIXED-WING AIRPLANE ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO VISUALLY LOCATE ANY WRECKAGE. HE NOTIFIED SEARCH PERSONNEL OF THE MISSING AIRPLANE, AND CONTINUED AN AERIAL SEARCH IN A HELICOPTER. AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED IN THE AREA OF HAINES. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS LOCATED THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE AT 1030, ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE WATERS OF THE CHILKOOT INLET, IN AN AREA OF STEEP FORESTED TERRAIN. THE CLOSEST OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION IS HAINES, ALASKA. AT 0821, AN AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM (AWOS) WAS REPORTING IN PART: WIND, 280 DEGREES (TRUE) AT 4 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 4 STATUTE MILES IN LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND MIST; CLOUDS AND SKY CONDITION, 800 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE, 32 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 31 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 30.35 IN HG; REMARKS, FREEZING RAIN BEGANAT 0821, SNOW BEGAN AT 0755. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED SKAGWAY FOR HAINES EMPTY. DEPARTURE WAS DELAYED 15 MINUTES DUE TO FREEZING RAIN AND POOR VISIBILITY IN HAINES. WEATHER IN SKAGWAY WAS 6000CEILING, VIZ 10MI. AIRCRAFT BECAME OVER DUE AND A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. AIRCRAFT FOUND ON MOUNTAINSIDE AT 200 FT. LEVEL 6 MI. NORTH OF HAINES (HNS AND SGY ARE 12 MILES APART). AIRCRAFT DESTROYED, PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) KILLED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.