ANC01LA053

The commercial air taxi pilot related he was attempting to land on a gravel runway in a direct crosswind of approximately 15 knots. During the final approach to land, he said the airplane stalled, and landed hard. The airplane went off the side of the runway and received substantial damage. The pilot indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane.

On May 3, 2001, about 1050 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-32-300 airplane, N4089W, operated under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on-demand cargo flight by Bellair, Inc., received substantial damage while landing at the Chefornak Airport, Chefornak, Alaska. The solo commercial-certificated pilot was not injured. The flight operated in visual meteorological conditions, and a VFR and company flight plan were in effect. The flight departed Bethel, Alaska, about 1000, en route to Chefornak.

During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on May 3, the pilot of the accident airplane related that he departed Bethel with 1,000 pounds of U.S. mail for Chefornak. It was his intent to deposit the mail at Chefornak, and return to Bethel. He said the flight to Chefornak was uneventful. He elected to land on runway 34, and noted the surface wind was nearly a direct crosswind from the west, at 10-15 miles per hour. As he approached the landing threshold, he said his indicated airspeed was about 80 miles per hour, when the airplane suddenly stalled, landed hard, and bounced off the right side of the runway. The pilot said the airplane received substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. He also said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane.