# NTSB ANC04LA018: Piper PA-31-350, N45008, Koyukuk, AK, January 2, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 2, 2004, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Koyukuk, AK - Coordinates: 64.876113, -157.727218 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.8761&lon=-157.7272&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Fairbanks, FSDO-01 - NTSB case key (mKey): 58591 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04LA018 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58591/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=58591 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA018 ## Probable cause The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from terrain, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were fog and whiteout weather conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, maneuvering - weather condition - fog (contributing factor) - weather condition - whiteout (contributing factor) - flight into adverse weather - continued, pilot in command (cause) - altitude/clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - terrain condition - water,frozen ## Analysis The Title 14, CFR Part 135 cargo flight departed for a destination airport about 20 miles downriver. Although weather at the departure airport was VFR, no reports of the actual weather along the route of flight were available. Unable to locate the destination airport due to deteriorating weather conditions, the pilot attempted to return to the departure airport following the river for ground reference. The airplane entered fog and whiteout weather conditions, and collided in-flight with the frozen surface of the river. ## Factual narrative On January 2, 2004, about 1630 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-31-350 airplane, N45008, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain about 3 miles southeast of Koyukuk, Alaska, while maneuvering in whiteout conditions. The airplane was being operated by Larry's Flying Service, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, at the time of the accident. The solo airline transport pilot was seriously injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and company VFR flight following procedures were in effect. The flight departed Galena, Alaska, about 1620. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on January 2, the chief pilot for the operator said he was tracking the accident flight from Galena to Koyukuk because basic VFR minimums prevailed, and snow showers had been reported along the route of flight. He said when the flight failed to check in at the anticipated arrival time, he contacted the Koyukuk village agent. He said the village agent reported hearing the airplane overhead, but a snow shower had reduced the visibility to zero. When the accident airplane could not be contacted by radio, a search was initiated. Searchers located the airplane about 3 miles southeast of the village. According to the chief pilot, the accident pilot said he entered a snow squall and descended along the riverbed trying to maintain visual contact with the ground, and was in whiteout conditions when the airplane collided with terrain. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and tail. The chief pilot indicated that the accident pilot told him there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The NTSB IIC had a telephone conversation with the accident pilot on January 8. During that conversation, the accident pilot reported essentially the same information as the chief pilot. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N45008](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N45008-2004-09-23), registration cancelled 2004-09-23, S/N 31-8052167, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-31-350 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (registry code 7103110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 31-8052167 - Airframe hours: 12808 - Engines: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Larrys Flying Service Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, December 26, 2003, 4,006 hours before - Departed: PAGA, Galena, AK - Destination: KYU, Koyukuk, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: serious; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review December 14, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 5,283 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 500 as pilot in command, 358 in the last 90 days, 123 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 1 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 100 ft - Temperature: -20 °F ## 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 20040102000469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040102000469A), Jan 2, 2004: Piper PA31350, Koyukuk, AK, Destroyed. (-23) While preparing to depart from the galena, AK airport the pilot was advised by the company agent in galena that the weather in Koyukuk, AK. Was "foggy".… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 1, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=58591. 658 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 658 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40206965&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF 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.