- Date
- March 16, 1990, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Almautlak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8290TPiper PA-32-301
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900316004559A
- Case key
- 5284
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
The pilot's loss of control of the airplane because of spatial disorientation. The weather conditions prevailing at the time were factors relating to the accident.
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 airplane crashed shortly after transitioning from VFR to IFR conditions, and receiving an IFR clearance to the final approach fix for ils/dme runway 18 at bethel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8290T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-8106005
- Airframe hours
- 1,910
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Arctic Circle Air Service
- Registered owner
- Northwind Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 2, 1990 · 142 hours before
- Departed
- Z09 · Kasigluk, AK
- Destination
- BET · Bethel, 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
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,802 total · 1,014 in this make and model · 1,646 as pilot in command · 168 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft
- Temperature
- 30 °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.