- Date
- March 28, 1989, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Beluga Mountain, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4620MPiper PA-11
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890328005739A
- Case key
- 5180
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
Pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for an off-airport landing and takeoff. The uneven terrain (with a snow berm) was a related factor.
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 student pilot and his passenger had landed at a remote Mountain, off-airport landing site to reportedly photograph a bear. During the ensuing take off attempt, the ski equipped Piper PA-11 airplane struck a snow berm with its right main landing gear ski. The right main landing gear collapsed, causing substantial damage to the airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4620M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-124
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lee, Cody R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 2, 1988 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- Z15 · Chugiak, 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
- 25
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 83 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °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 N4620M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.