- Date
- October 1, 1989
- Place
- Kwethluk, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N38393Piper PA-32
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19891001042339A
- Case key
- 5313
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 misjudged his altitude and distance from the runway drg the approach, which resulted in a premature touchdown and failure of the right main landing gear, when it hit the runway lip. The sunglare and lack of visual cues (visual perception) were contributing factors.
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 pilot reported he was landing on a 1700' airstrip that he had routinely used. He said he landed slightly short & below the runway grade, striking the right main landing gear on the lip of the runway. The right main gear failed & separated from the wing, damaging the wing spar. The pilot said he had some difficulty with the approach to landing due to sunglare. On a subsequent application for med cert, dated 3/28/90, the plt rprtd 8000 hrs of flt time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38393
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7840023
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Kusko Aviation
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- AQH · Quinhagak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- KWT · Kwethluk, runway 24, 1,700 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °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 N38393 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.