- Date
- October 2, 1988, 18:40 local (Oct 3, 1988, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Healy Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3421APiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19881002042669A
- Case key
- 5136
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
After waiting for more favorable wind conditions, the student pilot and his passenger attempted a departure from a dirt strip surrounded by trees. The non-rated passenger stated that 'after becoming airborne and climbing slightly above the treetops, it felt like I was in an elevator and the aircraft began to hit the tops of the trees...'. Witnesses indicated that the winds were out of the south-southeast at 35 knots, gusting to 40 knots.
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
- N3421A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1608
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Doyle L. Gabriel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- Healy Lake, runway 9, 2,800 × 40 ft, dirt
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 35 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.