ANC85FA146

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-30 · Kodiak, AK · August 5, 1985

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
August 5, 1985, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Kodiak, AK
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N7811YPiper PA-30
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
19850805038989A
Case key
4425

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

In flight collision with terrain/waterApproach
Weather condition - cloudsFactor
Weather condition - rainFactor
Ifr procedure - not followedPilot in commandCause
Lack of familiarity with geographic areaPilot in commandFactor
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Terrain condition - risingFactor

Analysis

During a wx briefing at 0719 adt, the plt was advised that VFR flt was not recommended. Later, at 0827. He called the fss to update his wx & filed an IFR clearance. At 0938, the acft departed anchorage. During arrival at Kodiak, the acft was cleared for an ils/dme-one apch to rwy 25. At 1056, the plt reported he was 8.5 DME mi north of Kodiak & level at 1600 ft. shortly after that, radio contact was lost & the ELT sounded. Later, the acft was found where it collided with a mountain side at an elevation of 1450 ft. the crash site was located aprx 5 mi north of the arpt, outside of an area where the instrument apch would have taken the acft. The 1057 wx observation at the arpt was in part: 1000 ft scattered, 3500 ft overcast, visibility 10 mi. The arpt elev was 73 ft MSL. The wx in the mountains where the plane crashed was not verified. This was the plt's 1st apch to this arpt. Radar svc was not available. The plt's log book was not found. Reportedly, he had not flown many recent apchs & was use to having radar assistance.

Aircraft

Registration
N7811Y
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Category
Airplane
Serial number
30-890
Airframe hours
3,051
Engine
Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Robert J. Harris Sr
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 1, 1984 · 199 hours before
Departed
ANC · Anchorage, AK
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
AD · Kodiak, runway 25, 7,548 × 150 ft, asphalt

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
61
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Toxicology
Performed
Flight hours
6,000 total

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Wind
30° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
54 °F, dew point 50 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
ADQ, 5 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.