- Date
- April 16, 2000, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Delta Junction, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3697MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20000416008689A
- Case key
- 49006
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance. Factors associated with the accident were flat light conditions, and snow-covered terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated private pilot reported that while on approach to land on a large, featureless, and snow-covered glacier, he momentarily lost visual reference due to flat light conditions. He said that he was unable to judge his descent rate, and the airplane's right ski struck the surface of the glacier. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the surface of the glacier. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2000, about 1100 Alaska daylight time, a ski equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N3697M, sustained substantial damage while landing at an off airport site, about 23 miles southwest of Delta Junction, Alaska, at 63 degrees 24 minutes north latitude, 146 degrees 21 minutes west longitude. The certificated private pilot, and the one passenger aboard, were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1000, from the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on April 19, the pilot reported that during approach to land on a large, featureless, and snow-covered glacier, he momentarily lost visual reference due to flat light conditions. He said that he was unable to judge his descent rate, and the airplane's right ski struck the surface of the glacier. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the surface of the glacier. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and fuselage.
The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3697M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2641
- Airframe hours
- 5,380
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard W. Flanders
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 1999 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- 11AK · Delta Junction, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 1,900 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.