# NTSB ANC01LA056: Piper PA-32R-301, N4375B, Emmonak, AK, April 14, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 14, 2001, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Emmonak, AK - Coordinates: 62.786388, -164.496109 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.7864&lon=-164.4961&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 20, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 53193 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC01LA056 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53193/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC01LA056 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent stall while maneuvering. A factor associated with the accident was soft, snow-covered terrain. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) - terrain condition - snow covered (contributing factor) - Gear collapsed, other ## Analysis As the certificated commerical pilot was en route to his destination airport, he noticed a man standing beside a snow machine, waving his arms. He said that he descended to about 100 feet above the ground, and flew over the individual. The pilot stated that the man continued to wave his arms, leading the pilot to believe that the man needed help. The pilot said that he then climbed to 1,500 feet, called the Flight Service Station (FSS) , to advise them to send help. After being assured by the FSS specialist that help was on the way, he once again descended, and elected to drop a note to the man on the snow machine, to let him know help was on the way. The pilot wrote: "With gear down, and full flaps extended, I began approaching the man. At about 75 to 100 feet AGL, the aircraft began to stall. Recognizing the stall, I began to add full power, but the stall progressed to quickly, and subsequently caused the aircraft to touch down on a tributary of the Yukon River." He said that as the airplane touched down, the main wheels and right wing contacted deep snow, and the nose landing gear collapsed. ## Factual narrative On April 14, 2001, about 1130 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N4375B, sustained substantial damage while landing at an off airport site located about 28 miles southeast of Emmonak, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, Larry's Flying Service, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska. The certificated commercial pilot, and the one passenger aboard, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated from the Saint Mary's Airport, Saint Mary's, Alaska, about 1100. In a written statement to the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot reported that while en route to his destination airport, he noticed a man standing beside a snow machine, waving his arms. He said that he descended to about 100 feet above the ground, and flew over the individual. The pilot stated that the man continued to wave his arms, leading the pilot to believe that the man needed help. The pilot said that he then climbed to 1,500 feet, called the Flight Service Station (FSS) , to advise them to send help. After being assured by the FSS specialist that help was on the way, he once again descended, and elected to drop a note to the man on the snow machine, to let him know help was on the way. The pilot wrote: "With gear down, and full flaps extended, I began approaching the man. At about 75 to 100 feet AGL, the aircraft began to stall. Recognizing the stall, I began to add full power, but the stall progressed to quickly, and subsequently caused the aircraft to touch down on a tributary of the Yukon River." He said that as the airplane touched down, the main wheels and right wing contacted deep snow, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4375B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4375B), registered now, S/N 32R-8413023, built 1984 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32R-301 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32R-301](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301) (registry code 7103218) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32R-8413023 - Airframe hours: 11482.3 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K165D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Registered owner: Larry's Flying Service - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 23, 2001, 19.7 hours before - Departed: KSM, Saint Mary's, AK - Destination: ENM, Emmonak, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 23; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 17, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 1,337 total, 400 in this make and model, 128 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010414039799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010414039799A), Apr 14, 2001: Piper PA32R301, Emmonak, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) During a part 135 passenger-carrying flight, the pilot saw a stranded snowmobiler. After radioing for help, pilot made a low pass by the snowmobiler,… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.