- Date
- December 6, 1985, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Shageluk, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N97MMPiper PA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19851206061179A
- Case key
- 4625
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
The acft contacted trees and descended to the terrain while on an apch to a lake. The plt reported the acft windscreen kept frosting up and he had to repeatedly wipe it clean. In the process of wiping the windscreen he approached the lake at a lower than intended alt and the acft contacted the 60 ft tall trees. The plt stated he had purchased a windscreen heater but had not yet installed it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97MM
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-41
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth W. Chase
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SHX · Shageluk, AK
- Destination
- ANV · Anvik, AK
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point -0 °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 N97MM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.