ANC06LA107

The solo commercial pilot was landing at a remote off-airport site under Title 14, CFR Part 91. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot hiked about 1 mile to the accident airplane to disassemble a previous camp site, load the camp items into the airplane, then reposition the airplane closer to where he had shot a caribou earlier that day. A witness stated that the pilot made a series of low passes over his intended landing site. During the accident approach, while the airplane was about 100 feet agl, the airplane nosed down and collided with the ground in a near vertical attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted in his written statement to the NTSB that the last thing he can recall was while he was on final approach to the site, but he has no recollection of the accident. He also noted that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.

On August 5, 2006, about 1630 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-22-150 airplane, N3546P, sustained substantial damage when it collided with the ground following a loss of control while landing at an off airport site, about 70 miles south of Deadhorse, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial certificated pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1620 from a remote campsite located about 1 mile from the accident location.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on August 8, North Slope Borough Public Safety dispatch personnel reported that they received the initial report of the accident about 1640, via the Alaska State Troopers central dispatch center located in Soldotna, Alaska. The call originated from a witness that dialed 911 on her satellite telephone immediately after the accident. A helicopter from the North Slope Borough Search and Rescue was dispatched from Barrow, Alaska, located northwest of the accident site.

According to the two North Slope Borough Search and Rescue helicopter pilots that talked with the witness at the accident site, the pilot and the witness had shot a caribou, about 1 mile from where their airplane was parked. The witness said that while she stayed at the site to butcher the caribou, the pilot hiked to the airplane to reposition it closer to the caribou. She said that prior to the accident, the pilot made a series of low passes over his intended landing site. During the accident approach, while the airplane was about 100 feet agl, the airplane nosed down and the airplane descended nose first. The airplane collided with the ground in a near vertical, nose down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.

According to the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) submitted by the pilot, he reported that he remembers hiking to the airplane, disassembling the camp site, and loading the airplane. He stated that the last thing he can recall was while he was on final approach to the site, but he has no recollection of the accident. The pilot noted in the report that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane.