- Date
- November 25, 1989, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Eek, AK
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5511JPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19891125046539A
- Case key
- 5324
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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation and his failure to assure the removal of ice or frost from the wings. The excess gross weight and uneven terrain were considered to be 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 plt was taking off from a 1300' gravel rwy that had been cleared of snow. He rprtd the acft had very good acceleration at the beginning of the takeoff roll, but then it seemed to hold, instead of accelerating further. There was evidence the acft lifted off, then settled & touched down about 45 yds beyond the end of the rwy. It contacted uneven terrain which failed the right main landing gear. The acft then slid to a stop on a frozen lake with prop & wing damage. About 30 min later, an exam of the acft revealed 'minimum icing' on the wings. No preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure of the aircraft was found drg the post-acdnt exam.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5511J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-976
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Kusko Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EEK
- Destination
- WTL · Tuntutalick, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- EEK · Eek, runway 17, 1,300 × 30 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
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 400 in this make and model · 6,900 as pilot in command · 260 in the last 90 days · 140 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.