- Date
- March 25, 2022, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chitina, AK · Glacier
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7074KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220325004319A
- Case key
- 104860
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot’s exceedance of the wing’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in a stall and impact with terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during approach to land on a snow-covered glacier, the airplane was “lower and slower” than his previous approaches to the glacier. He executed a go-around, the wind “shifted”, and the airplane stalled and impacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7074K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-181
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 3,361
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 2021
- Departed
- Peavine Bar, AK
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 250 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- PACV, 119 nm away
- METAR
- PACV 252115Z 09010G19KT 10SM BKN026 BKN034 OVC100 05/01 A2976 RMK AO2 T00500006 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7074K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.