- Date
- April 8, 1982, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Akiachak, AK
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9304KPiper PA-32
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19820408008479A
- Case key
- 69704
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The pilot began taking off on a soft runway with a left quartering crosswind. He stated that he was unable to get enough speed on the soft mud for a safe takeoff. He cut the power to abort, but was unable to stop on the remaining runway. The plane continued off the end of the runway where the right main gear broke through thin ice and separated. The right wing was damaged and began burning where a navigation light had broken and caused a spark. A fire extinguisher was used to stop the flames, but the fire started again when the extinguisher was exhausted.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9304K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7650076
- Airframe hours
- 2,932
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-KIA5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bobby D. Coopchiak
- Registered owner
- Bobby D. Coopchiak
- Departed
- BET · Bethel, AK
- Destination
- TOG · Togiak, AK
- Airport
- Z13 · Akiachak, runway 28, 1,900 × 40 ft, grass/turf
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 285 total · 77 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 90 °F
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 N9304K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.